RAWALPINDI: Chief Of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday signed the death warrants of seven "hardcore terrorists", said a statement released from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The statement added the individuals were involved in committing offences related to terrorism, including killing of civilians, police officials and armed forces personnel.

"They were also involved in sectarian killings. Firearms and explosives were also recovered from their possession," said the ISPR statement.

Details of the convicts

• Mohammad Qasim Tori, Abid Ali and Mohammad Danish - Attacks on law enforcement, possession of firearms and explosives. Members of proscribed organisation.

• Syed Jehangir Haider and Zeeshan - Involved in sectarian killings and attacks of law enforcement. Possession of firearms and explosives.

• Mutabar Khan and Rehman Ud Din - Attacks on armed forces, law enforcement and peace committee members. Possession of firearms and explosives. Members of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The ISPR statement said the convicts have admitted their offenses in the trial court.

Military courts

In the wake of the APS carnage, military courts were set up for trying terrorists under amendments made to the Constitution and the Army Act.

Political parties had unanimously agreed over the issue of setting up military courts to tackle terrorism cases in the country following the gruesome attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014, following which the Parliament passed the 21st constitutional amendment in Jan 2015 to set up the said courts.

Take a look: 144 stories: Remembering lives lost in Peshawar attack

President Mamnoon Hussain had also promulgated an ordinance further revising the recently amended Army Act to ostensibly aid the functioning of military courts by allowing for trials in camera, i.e without the presence of the public or the media, and over video link if necessary.

The Supreme Court in a majority ruling upheld the establishment of military courts in Pakistan.

Petitions challenging the 21st amendment were dismissed in August this year 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.

Editorial: Military ‘justice’

In its editorials, Dawn has criticised the establishment of military courts for "simply not [being] compatible with a constitutional democracy.