Army chief approves execution of four terrorists

ISPR says convicts were involved in manslaughter, suicide bombing and funding terrorist organisations

ISLAMABAD:

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday signed death warrants for four hardcore terrorists convicted and condemned to death by military courts.

According to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), those ordered to be executed include Noor Saeed alias Hafiz Sahib, Murad Khan, Inayatullah and Israruddin alias Abu Lais.

The ISPR said the convicts were involved in manslaughter, suicide bombing, abduction for ransom, funding terrorist organisations and causing colossal damage to life and property.

On November 30, the army chief ordered the execution of four terrorists involved in the massacre of young students in Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS) in December last year.  These convicted terrorists – hanged on December 2 in the Kohat Central Jail – were the first to have been sentenced to death by military courts that were set up after the Peshawar carnage as part of the National Action Plan against terrorism.

The military courts have so far awarded capital punishment to 27 terrorists, including those who were behind the APS attack. These courts appear to have expedited the prosecution of suspected terrorists following the Supreme Court’s August 5 verdict that upheld the constitutional amendment paving way for the special courts run by military officials.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2015.