President rejects clemency appeals of four APS attackers

Suspects were sentenced by military courts on charges of launching terrorist attack on the army-run school last year

President Mamnoon Hussain rejected on Friday mercy petitions of four convicted terrorists in the Peshawar Attack case, Express News reported.

All four suspects were sentenced to death by military courts on charges of launching a terrorist attack on the army-run school in December 2014, which killed over 150 people, mostly schoolchildren.

Following the attack, the government lifted the moratorium on death penalties in the country, and formed a National Action Plan, which established military courts to try terrorists.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had advised the president on Thursday to reject clemency appeals of the convicts.



“The brutal and merciless killings of our children convinced us that the perpetrators of such crimes do not deserve any mercy,” a statement issued by the prime minister’s office quoted him as saying.

The interior ministry had sent the said request to the president earlier this week through PM Nawaz.

In August, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had confirmed sentences of seven terrorists involved in attacks on APS Peshawar and Safoora Chowrangi after a military court awarded all of them with death sentences.



“The army chief has confirmed that eight terrorists were tried under the Pakistan Army Act 2015,” the ISPR had said.

The statement added that convicts were given a fair trial by following all legal formalities and offering/providing them legal aid and defence counsels.