Four hardcore terrorists hanged in KP

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army said four “hardcore terrorists” involved in committing heinous terrorist incidents were hanged on Tuesday.

An army statement said the terrorists were convicted on charges of killing innocent civilians and attacking the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan. The terrorists were tried by military courts and executed at a prison in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

All the convicts were active members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said. Rehmanuddin, Mushtaq Khan, Obaidur Rehman and Zafar Iqbal were among those hanged.  The convicts admitted to their offenses before the magistrates and the trial court.

The military courts were established for the speedy trial of terrorists after the deadliest attack on an army public school in Peshawar in December 2014.  Nearly 150 people, mostly students, were killed in the attack claimed by the Taliban.

Last month, Parliament approved a constitutional amendment to revive military courts for two more years. The two-year term of the military courts expired in January and the treasury and opposition benches joined hands to pass a constitutional amendment for a two-year extension.