COAS confirms death sentence to 12 terrorists

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday confirmed death sentences awarded to 12 hardcore terrorists, who were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians, attacking law enforcement agencies and armed forces of Pakistan.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), these terrorists also include those who planned and executed attack on Markazi Imambargah Parachinar. On the whole, they were involved in killing of 34 persons, including 26 civilians, eight armed forces/Frontier Constabulary personnel, and injuring 133 others. Arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession.

These convicts were tried by the special military courts. Besides, six other convicts have been awarded imprisonment.

Civilian Ehsanullah, son of Kifayatullah, was also tried by special military court, however, he was found not guilty and has been acquitted accordingly.

Detail of cases is as under:

1. Ashiq Khan s/o Saadullah Khan, Rasheed s/o Momeen Khan, Meraj s/o Sheen Gul and Muhammad Rasool s/o Naikmat Khan: These convicts were members of a proscribed organisation. They abetted the attack on Markazi Imambargah Parachinar, which resulted in the death of 22 civilians and injuries to 130 others. These convicts admitted their offences before the magistrate and the trial court. They were awarded death sentence.

2. Jannat Karim s/o Gul Karim, Abu Bakar s/o Haider Khan and Anwar Khan s/o Abdul Janan: All the convicts were members of a proscribed organisation. They were involved in attacking law enforcement agencies, which resulted in death of five police officials and three civilians. They were also found in possession of explosives. These convicts admitted their offences before the magistrate and the trial court. They were awarded death sentence.

3. Ghulam Habib s/o Sher Bahadar and Abdul Ghafoor s/o Muhammad Jan: Both the convicts were members of proscribed organisation. They were involved in attacking civilians as well as armed forces of Pakistan by planting/exploding the improvised explosive devices, which resulted in death of Naib Subedar Muhammad Arif, Sepoy Shoukat Ali and causing injuries to two civilians and a soldier. The convicts confessed their offences before the judicial magistrate and the trial court. They were awarded death sentence.

4. Rawaz Khan s/o Zameen Khan and Mubarik Zeb s/o Abdul Latif: Both the convicts were members of a proscribed organisation. They were involved in killing of civilian Malik Haji Muhammad, a member of Aman Committee. Fire-arm was also found in possession of Rawaz Khan s/o Zameen Khan. These convicts confessed their offences before the judicial magistrate and the trial court. They were awarded death sentence.

5. Ayub Khan s/o Haji Muhammad: The convict was a member of a proscribed organisation. He abetted in causing death of a soldier. The convict confessed his offence before the judicial magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded death sentence.