Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa on Monday confirmed the death sentences awarded to another four terrorists.

The hardcore terrorists were involved in killing of civilians and law enforcers.

They planned and executed attacks on Jinnah International Airport Karachi, CID building Karachi, ISI Office Sukkur and convoys of law enforcers. They killed 58 people, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chaudhry Aslam and injured 226 others, including SSP Farooq Awan. Firearms and explosives were also seized from them. The convicts were tried by military courts.

The terrorists include Attaur Rehman son/of Faqir Muhammad, Muhammad Sabir S/O Alif Gul, Farooq Bhatti S/O Muhammad Ishaq and Gul Zareen S/O Gul Sharif. They are members of banned terrorist outfits. The convicts confessed to their involvement in terrorism before a magistrate and the trial court.

Parliament passed the 21st Amendment and the Pakistan Army Act 1952 to establish the special courts after terrorists killed more than hundred students in the Army Public School, Peshawar last year.

In April 16, the court had suspended executions of six militants who were awarded death sentence by these military courts.

The stay order was issued on an application filed by rights activist Asma Jehangir on behalf of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) after army chief Gen Raheel Sharif had ratified the death sentence to six militants and life imprisonment to one by the military courts.

In August 2015, the Supreme Court in a majority ruling upheld the establishment of military courts in Pakistan.

Petitions challenging the 21st amendment were dismissed in a majority 11-6 vote of the 17-member SC bench. Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Dost Muhammad announced the verdict.

In a 14-3 majority vote, petitions challenging the 18th amendment were also dismissed by the bench. Judges provided seven opinions and two additional notes on the ruling.