Army Chief signs death warrants of four terrorists involved in APS attack
The four terrorists were sentenced to death by military courts.
RAWALPINDI (Web Desk) - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif approved on Monday the execution of six terrorists sentenced to death by military courts.
"Chief of Army staff today signed black warrants of four hardcore terrorists involved in APS Peshawar massacre," the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported.
The four terrorists including Maulvi Abdus Salam S/O Shamsi, Hazrat Ali S/O Awal Baz Khan, Mujeeb ur Rehman alias Ali alias Najeeb Ullah S/O Gulab Jan and Sabeel alias Yaya S/O Atta Ullah were sentenced to death by military courts in August this year after they were convicted of involvement in the Taliban massacre of 134 children at an army-run school in Peshawar on December 16, 2014.
The decision of their execution comes a week after President Mamnoon Hussain rejected mercy pleas of convicted terrorists on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ‘s advice.
Army says the men belonging to a banned organization played a major role in planning and facilitating the school attack and several others.
The December school attack is seen as having hardened Pakistan’s resolve to fight militants along its lawless border with Afghanistan. Authorities lifted a six-year moratorium on executions last December and since that time nearly 300 convicts have been executed.
Amnesty International estimates that Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row, most of whom have exhausted the appeals process.
Supporters argue that the death penalty is the only effective way to deal with the scourge of militancy in the country.
