Army chief approves death sentences of 12 militants

ISPR says militants were involved in attacks on armed forces, law enforcement agencies and civilians

Army chief General Raheel Sharif approved on Thursday the death sentences of 12 'hardcore terrorists'.

"The militants were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including breaking of Bannu Jail, attacks on armed forces, law enforcement agencies and civilians. These convicts were tried by military courts," the military's media wing Inter Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Here are details of the convicts as released by ISPR:

1) Muhammad Arbi S/O Hafiz Muhammad Sadiq. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in abetting attack on Bannu Jail, owing to which large number of terrorists managed to escape from the jail and also caused injuries to police constables and soldiers. He was also involved in attacking law enforcement agencies resulting in the death of soldiers. Arbi admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on three charges and awarded death sentence.

2) Rafi Ullah S/O Muhammad Miskeen. The convict was an active member of Sepah-e-Sahaba. He was tried on two charges and awarded death sentence.

3) Qari Asif MehmoodS/O Muhammad Anwar. The convict was an active member of Sepah-e-Sahaba. He was tried on four charges and awarded death sentence.

4) Shawaleh S/O Gul Khan.The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking law enforcement agencies. He admitted his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on three charges and awarded death sentence.



5) Muhammad Zeeshan S/O Abdul Qayyum Khan. The convict was an active member of al Qaeda. He was involved in attacking armed forces. He was tried and awarded death sentence.

6.) Nasir Khan S/O Khan Afsar Khan. The convict was an active member of al Qaeda. He was involved in attacking armed forces.

7) Shoukat Ali S/O Abdul Jabbar.  The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was tried on five charges and awarded death sentence.

8) Imdadullah S/O Abdul Wajid. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in destruction of an educational institution in District Buner and attacking law enforcement agencies. He was tried on five charges and awarded death sentence.

9) Muhammad Umar S/O Saida Jan. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in destruction of an educational institution in Pakistan and attacking armed forces. He was tried on five charges and awarded death sentence.

10) Sabir Shah S/O Syed Ahmed Shah. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking armed forces. He was tried on three charges and awarded death sentence.



11) Khandan S/O Dost Muhammad Khan. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking armed forces. He was tried on three charges and awarded death sentence.

12)  Anwar Ali S/O FazalGhani. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking armed forces.  He was tried on three charges and awarded death sentence.

The approval comes just two days after the Supreme Court had stayed execution of four terrorists, including two facilitators of the December 2014 carnage at Peshawar’s Army Public School (APS), condemned to death by military courts.

The convicts had challenged the military court's decision in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) which upheld their conviction on December 9, 2015. Subsequently, the convicts challenged the PHC ruling in the Supreme Court.



Earlier, another two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmad, had suspended on December 7, 2015 a military court ruling in which Qari Zahir Gul and Haider Ali had been convicted of terrorist acts and condemned to death.