Pakistan announces death penalty for six behind school attack

A military court on Thursday awarded death sentences to seven terrorists involved in Army Public School attack and Safoora Chowrangi gun attack, the incidents that left around 150 people dead including 140 school children.

A statement on the Pakistan military’s website said seven militants were found guilty of links to the attack – only one had been given a life sentence instead of the death penalty.

ISPR said convicts were given fair trails by following all legal formalities and offering/providing them with legal aid and defence counsels.

The men were convicted by military courts established in the wake of the December 16 siege last year, while a seventh man was handed a life sentence. Following that brutality, the government lifted the moratorium on death penalties in the country and formed a National Action Plan, which led them to set up military courts for the trial of terrorists.

Of these convicts six were active members of Toheedwal Jihad Group (TWJ). He was tried on five charges and awarded death sentence. He was tried on three charges and awarded death sentence.

He was also involved in abetting deaths of two Colonels and a civilian Director of National Development Complex (NDC). He was tried on 4 charges and awarded death sentence. The convict was an active member of TTP. He had also been in league with the accused persons involved in attack on Army Public School Peshawar.

Another terrorist was awarded a lifetime imprisonment for attacking Rangers’s personnel in Karachi. 6 involved in APS Attk&1 in Safoora.8th awarded life imprisonment.

Whereas, Civilian Taj Muhammad alias Rizwan S/O Altaf Khan was an active member of CivilianMuhammad Farhan alias Ali alias Abbas alias AijazQadri was an active member of Jaish-e-Muhammad. He was tried on 2 charges and awarded death sentence.

Pakistan also amended its constitution to allow military courts to try terror suspects.