‘Butcher of Swat’ to face the gallows

Safoora Goth planners also among 8 hardcore terrorists condemned to death by COAS

ISLAMABAD: Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday signed death warrants for eight ‘hardcore terrorists’ found guilty of carrying out several attacks, including the Safoora Goth massacre and the killing of prominent human rights activist Sabeen Mahmood.

The convicts include Muslim Khan, former spokesperson of the Swat chapter of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who is also known as the ‘butcher of Swat.’

Three other terrorists were awarded different prison terms, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. All of them were tried by military courts set up following the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014.



It said those who were awarded death sentences were involved in the planning and execution of the attack on members of the Ismaili community at Safoora Chowrangi, Karachi, in which 45 people were killed on the spot while six others were injured. They also include those who killed social worker Sabeen Mehmood and kidnapped two Chinese engineers and a civilian for ransom.

On the whole, they were involved in the killing of 90 people and injuring 99 others. Explosives were also recovered from their possession, the ISPR said.

The convicts, including Hafiz Muhammad Umar, Ali Rehman, Abdul Salam and Khurram Shafique, were identified as members of a proscribed organisation. “They were behind the Safoora attack, as well as involved in the killing of Sabeen Mahmood.  All of them admitted their offences before the magistrate and the trial court,” the ISPR said.

Muslim Khan, who was arrested following the operation in Swat in 2009, was involved in the killing of innocent civilians, attacking armed forces and law enforcement agencies, which resulted in the deaths of 31 people, including Inspector Sher Ali, and injuries to 69 others, according to the ISPR.



He was involved in slaughtering of Capt Najam Riaz Raja, Capt Junaid Khan, Naik Shahid Rasool and Lance Naik Shakeel Ahmed. He was also involved in the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers and a local civilian for ransom. The convict admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court.

Muhammad Yousaf, identified as member of a proscribed organisation, was involved in attacking the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, which resulted in the death of four soldiers, including Sepoy Raj Wali of the Frontier Constabulary, and causing injuries to 19 others.

Saif Ullah, another member of the proscribed organisation, was convicted for killing of innocent civilians and attacking law enforcement agencies, which resulted in the death of Assistant Sub Inspector Fareed Khan and a police constable, and also caused injuries to another police constable.

Bilal Mehmood, who was also identified as working for the proscribed organisation, was found guilty of attacking law enforcement agencies, which resulted in death of two police constables and injuries to four others.



Sartaj Ali, also identified as member of a proscribed organisation, was awarded life-imprisonment while Mahmood Khan and Fazl-e-Ghaffar were jailed for 20 years after being found involved in terrorist attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.