So far 310 terrorists awarded death penalty: ISPR updates on military courts’ performance

RAWALPINDI: Special military courts have so far decided a total of 546 cases out of 717 sent to them for trial by the government, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.

The army’s media wing in a statement updated on the military courts’ performance, saying since the establishment of these courts, the cases of 717 suspected terrorists were sent to them by the federal government out of which 546 have been decided thus far.

It said the military courts awarded death penalty to 310 terrorists while 234 others were handed rigorous imprisonment of varied terms ranging from life imprisonment to a minimum prison term of five years. Two accused were also acquitted.

Out of the 310 death row convicts, 56 have been executed after completion of the legal process following military courts decisions which included their appeal in superior civil courts and rejection of their mercy petition both by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the President of Pakistan.

The remaining 254 terrorists on death row are awaiting completion of the legal process, including their appeals pending in higher courts.

Those who have been awarded death penalty included masterminds, executers and abettors/ facilitators of major terrorist incidents, including the Dec 16, 2014 Army Public School (APS) Peshawar attack (5 terrorist executed), Marriot Islamabad terrorist attack (September 2008), Parade Lane terrorist attack (December 2009), attack on the ISI office Multan (December 2009), a terrorist attack on four SSG soldiers including 2 officers( April 2009), attack on the ISI office Sukkur (November 2010), Bannu Jail Break (April 2012), Mastung Sectarian terrorist attack (April 2012), killing of foreigners in Nanga Parbat (June 2013), a terrorist attack on civilian and security officials at Chalas (August 2013), an attack on SSP Chaudhary Aslam (January 2014)

Other incidents of terrorism include Karachi Airport attack (June 2014), terrorist attack on Sabin Mehmood (April 2015), terrorist attack Safora Ghot Karachi (May 2015), Bacha Khan University attack (January 2016), and terrorist attack on Amjad Sabri (June 2016).