Army chief signs death warrants for six terror convicts

Interior ministry sends list of 63 death-row prisoners to IGs of all provinces for execution of their sentences

ISLAMABAD: After the Prime Minister on Wednesday lifted a ban on the death penalty in terror related cases following the terrorist attack on Peshawar school, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Thursday signed death warrants for six terrorists.

According to the DG ISPR Maj General Asim Bajwa, the six hardcore terrorists had been convicted by a Field General Court Martial in accordance with law. However, it did not identify the terrorists.

#COAS today signed death warrants of 6 hardcore terrorists(pending execution)convicted by FGCM in accordance with law.

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) December 18, 2014

List of 63 prisoners sent for execution

Separately, the Interior Ministry on Thursday sent a list of 63 prisoners, who were handed death sentences in terror related cases, to Inspector General Police of all provinces for their execution.

Legal wing of the interior ministry cleared their names for execution on Thursday after their mercy petitions had already been rejected by then President Pervez Musharraf, a senior official told The Express Tribune.

Most of the prisoners cleared for execution of their sentences were involved in high profile terrorists attacks including on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, attack on Navy Center in Karachi and attack on the Army General Headquarters, he added.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan gave go-ahead to all provincial police departments to follow Premier Sharif’s instructions to execute prisoners whose mercy petitions have been rejected after holding his back to back meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and officials of home departments, he added.

Prime minister has also discussed this issue with President Mamnoon Hussain accordingly.

Currently, the Deputy Secretary Law Safeer Shah is examining some 400 other mercy petitions which were either filed to Musharraf or his successor Asif Ali Zardari between 2007 and 2011, interior ministry officials said. They hoped that the status of these cases will be clarified by next week.

Further, all provincial home departments have been directed by the interior minister to furnish reports of prisoners who were awarded death sentence in terror related cases to the ministry by next Monday.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of President House Samina Waqar clarified that the President Hussain has not rejected any mercy petition as no such plea has been received since he came to power as there was a moratorium on capital punishment.

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