FAISALABAD/ ISLAMABAD: Two convicted terrorists were hanged at the Faisalabad District Jail on Friday evening after prison officials received their death warrants.
The two hanged were Mohammed Aqeel, a former member of the army’s medical corps, who goes by the alias of Dr Usman. He was among the seven people convicted for their role in the attack on Army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The second convict who was hanged on Friday evening was Arshad Mehrban. Mehrban had been convicted for his involvement in the attack on former president General Pervez Musharraf.
Later on, bodies of the two were handed over to their respective families.
Body of Dr Usman was received by his brother Muhammad Usman while Mehrban’s body was handed over to his brother Sarfraz Mehrban.
Dr Usman and Mehrban were among the six terrorists whose death warrants had been signed by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday.
"Yes, two militants Aqil alias Doctor Usman and Arshad Mehmood have been hanged in Faisalabad jail," Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada told AFP.
A senior official from the prison department also confirmed the executions.
The move came after the prime minister’s decision to lift moratorium on executions following the massacre by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan at Peshawar’s Army Public School and College on Tuesday.
Earlier today, Express News reported the mastermind of the attack on GHQ in November 2009 will be hanged within the next 24 hours, following the army chief's action of signing death warrants of six hardcore terrorists.
Preparations for the execution of the GHQ mastermind at Central Jail Faisalabad have been completed, and several Elite Force vehicles have arrived at the prison.
Mohammed Aqeel, a former member of the army’s medical corps, who goes by the alias of Dr Usman, was among the seven people convicted for their role in the attack on GHQ and is among the six who are expected to be hanged tonight.
Preparations for the execution of the GHQ mastermind at Central Jail Faisalabad have been completed, and several Elite Force vehicles have arrived at the prison.
22 prisoners cleared for execution
Government gave the go-ahead to all inspector generals to execute 22 prisoners on death row for terrorism-related acts.
An official said prison chiefs have been asked to further proceed with the 22 cases cleared by the interior ministry for execution.
“With the addition of these prisoners, the number of those to be executed has now reached 85,” the official said.
The mercy pleas of the 22 prisoners were rejected by then president Pervez Musharraf.
"The law wing of the interior ministry is now looking into 378 more such cases," the official added.
According to a statement issued by military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the terrorists, whose executions were pending, were convicted by Field General Court Martial. The statement, however, did not identify the convicts.
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These executions should take place immediately and preferably without announcing when exactly they’ll take place. Information like that is just what the savage TTP needs to plan another attack to release other terrorists. Please don’t release information such as the place, date and time of the execution! If an attack is perpetrated on a prison this information and its publisher will have abetted the crime!
The death penalty should be executed at public places to create terror amongst terrorists and killers and to establish rule of law in the country.
These convicts had political backing, Otherwise why is there a stay on their execution till now,
Assalm-O-Alaikum! We are very thankful of General Raheel Shareef and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Shareef for their act of peace in Pakistan.May God! helps you in cleaning the terriorists from Pakistan. Shahzad Akram.
@El Cid: Oh, I see! Since, you are a philosopher, try explaining your theory to the TTP. Salams
more plz
Make a better society! Support all voices that are raised for humanity and equality. Denounce race or nationality based policy. Denounce corruption. Stand against violence and crime. Stand up for innocents and poor. Volunteer for community....From cleanliness to charity & injustice done to anyone regardless of his/her origins, class or background.
Kill em all... they dont have the right to live
Thanks Raheel Shareef.
@YaSo!: ET is conducting a poll if one is in favour or against of death penalty.
94% citizens of Pakistan are in favour of death penalty!!!!!!!!!
Those 6% are the paragons of our humanistic world order! l bow my head in deepest humility!
It is a diifcult time and everyone's emotions are rightly high. But emotions and sentiments apart, what you guys think should be the punishment of a muderer other than execution who has been killing innocent people, women and children and have been boasting about it and claiming the responsibility. It's Defo not a gang war but govt has the responsibility of protecting its citizens. So at last if they are doing something right, they should be encouraged.
@Aysha M: These people were on the death row for years. They were proven to be involved in Terrorism related crimes and convicted. Had these executions not been carried out, they would still be sitting in the jail eating biryani and halway on taxpayers money and passing on instructions to their brothers in mayhem to cause more damage.
Nobody expects the state to act like the Taliban, but where due process has been followed, it needs to be taken to its logical conclusion. Terrorists thrive on the compassion of the society. Ours all the more because they blackmail us in the name of religion.
@asif: If these executions are carried out in public there is a danger of retaliation and the suicide bomber can come and explode himself in the public who will come to see these animals being hanged.. The time date and venue i.e. the jail where the executions are to be carried out must be kept a secret it must be in the knowledge of only thode officials who are assigned the work.
I am in favour of death penalty, but how you can stop terrorism when they are not affraid of death. The cure to this cancer is to stop the factories who making terrorists and eradicate all product they have made otherwise they are coming back with more terrors
@raider: Who told you that? Can you substantiate your statement with any evidence that you have.
There is perfect justice...,,,,,...........Capital punishment is a capital crime...........
Thank you....Raheel Sharif.
This is a step in the right direction but all Pak citizens need to keep utmost vigil as backlash can be expected from these barbarians.
TTP have been wrecking havoc already! What to keep our eyes open for? That's is no relief here, is it?
@goggi (Lahore): Don't read too much literature please or you wont be able to protect your loved ones fro these terrorists.
@Aysha M: Yes Miss! That's why it started from Army related crimes! To be politically safe! Like you!
@El Cid: You are right! The World is not perfect,is it? Or our kids would be alive today!
I think government should not delay the hanging any more. I would suggest another step: those who have soft corner for these terrorists must also be hanged. They are most dangerous than these convicts.
@Aysha M: Your comment was totally uncalled-for Miss! Who are you targeting? Its normal all over the world, nothing new. Only You are sending wrong message that; Its a gang war!
Common citizens should keep their eyes open as heavy backlash is expected from the taliban and their supporters in coming days. Further the same treatment should be extended to the supporters and aiders of such criminals.
the terrorist were appealing for mercy before being hanged....they didn't want to go to heavens
I congratulate peaceful citizens of Pakistan on hanging of the first two hard core terrorists in Faisalabad jail.
More terrorists are likely to be hanged till tomorrow early morning and this will continue on daily basis until the last terrorist will be hanged till death.
Thanks to PM, COAS and on the top civil and army judiciary who made it possible to award capital punishment to terrorists in Pakistan.
This idiotic statement of yours about restraint, control and crap about form of extremism desperately demand a slap on your face. Maybe then you'll wakeup and understand the practical world.
@Aysha M: The state is not executing these criminals based on evidence in a court of law. These are proven cases. If you can just feel just a fraction of the agony that the parents of the murdered teenagers are going through you may be asking a different question.
to date India could not present a single evidence which could pave evidence to Pakistan and its inhabitants, detention without any proof would be just satisfaction
@pakistani: . . . no mercy . . . , with due respect is a form of extremism, State at all times even during war times is expected to exercise better control than a bunch of criminal minded evil beings such as Talibans
The terrorists and the cheering advocates of death penalty have same nature: SADISTIC KILLERS
perpetrators of model town incident should also be hanged along with these terrorists,
Unless there is perfect justice...capital punishment is a capital crime.
The action should be taken immediatily, other wise any STAY ORDER may come....
Monster have no right being in a civilized world.Execute them all
PM sahb, can you please order for beheading in public rather than hanging in jail? in sha Allah, it will give a very positive result.
@Aysha M: I am sorry but there should be no restraint.... Yes, the message is and should be.. you have crossed the red line and you shall pay.. the whole Pakistani nation is with the Pak army... No mercy...
This reaction by the government gives a feeling of a gang war. You kill mine I will kill yours, kind of attitude. Hope the government move cautiously and exercise restraint
In public! In public please!
Why does Media has such serious and sensitive information in first place? this should be done with seriousness! kindly dont portray it as an annual festive.
3:00 A.M. on Friday? I think 3:00 A.M. on Saturday.
We want them to be hanged in public !! The nation should see this and so should the world !!
These executions should take place immediately and preferably without announcing when exactly they'll take place. Information like that is just what the savage TTP needs to plan another attack to release other terrorists. Please don't release information such as the place, date and time of the execution! If an attack is perpetrated on a prison this information and its publisher will have abetted the crime!
Please lift the moratorium on all cases of heinous crimes like rape, murder etc. Lets wipe them out along the way.