President rejects mercy appeal of 17 death penalty convicts

E-Paper | March 04, 2026

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday rejected appeal to mercy of 17 criminals convicted for death penalty.

Out of those 17 convicted for terrorism, 10 belong to Punjab, six from Sindh and one from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The execution is expected to be carried soon, Dawn has learnt.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had lifted moratorium on death penalty for those convicted for terrorism after a deadly attack on Army Public School in Peshawar left more than 130 children dead on Dec 16.

Read: Nawaz removes moratorium on death penalty

Addressing an All Parties Conference (APC), the premier had announced that the moratorium on death penalty, which was imposed under international pressure, has been lifted.

LHC directs federal, provincial govts to submit comments on death row convicts

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed provisional and federal governments to submit their para-wise comments by January 9, 2015, regarding inmates who were convicted on terrorism charges and are currently on death row.

Judicial Activism Panel Chairman Mohammad Azhar Siddique filed an application a day before, in which he asked the court to direct the federal and provisional governments in the process of issuing death warrants for those convicted for terrorism, and are currently on death row.

Siddique in his application also sought answers to questions as to why it was taking so long for the death warrants to be issued and why were some cases still pending.

Read: ‘End of moratorium to affect those convicted under anti-terror laws’

Prime Minister Nawaz meets President Mamnoon

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House and apprised him about the decisions made at the APC in Peshawar.

Both the heads approved of a decisive action against terrorists for swift elimination of terrorism across Pakistan and said that children could not be left on the mercy of terrorists.

President Mamnoon backed all executive orders against elimination of terrorists and said no mercy appeal of any convicted terrorist would be accepted, Presidential spokesman told Dawn.

President Mamnoon and Prime Minister Nawaz termed consensus of all political stakeholders in the country showed Pakistan's real strength of its war against terrorism.

Read: Apologists will be regarded as terrorists, allies of terrorists, says Sherry Rehman

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bingo

Dec 18, 2014 11:27am

need census and let anybody out who is not belongs to this country. also make citizens vigilant and put private watches on the streets and schools. in war times what we do? put volunteers on watch, this is not responsibility only military, government or else this is all hands responsibility.

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Ramesh Krishnan

Dec 18, 2014 11:40am

Good..Those who kill innocent people have no human rights..European Union and human rights organisations will cry for them because there children is not dying...

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ravi

Dec 18, 2014 11:43am

Brave act by Pak president. But much more needs to be done. Country is infested by pests eating society and country.

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Ashraf Choudhry

Dec 18, 2014 11:51am

There is no Way but the only Way.Execute or Exit.

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Merchant

Dec 18, 2014 12:09pm

All the politicians involved in the moratorium on death penalty on convicted terrorists and convicted murderers are equally guilty and deserve to be punished.

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jay patel

Dec 18, 2014 12:20pm

What about mumbai 26/11 court trial? When would you start that?

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sameer

Dec 18, 2014 12:22pm

VERY GOOD, HAPPY TO KNOW THIS.

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Asif kamil

Dec 18, 2014 12:24pm

No mercy for the killers!!! Period

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S K Sinha

Dec 18, 2014 12:29pm

Sab kuchh luta ke hosh me aaye toh kya hua. Tooooooooooooooooooo late. Ask parents who lost kids. Apologize to them for the delay. Beg their excuse for this delay.

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saad s

Dec 18, 2014 12:29pm

NO mercy for merciless people.

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saz

Dec 18, 2014 12:31pm

Though terrorists have made life of innocent citizens difficult but still I am afraid if convicted culprits were innocent then executing them will not bring any fruit. .....Pk judicial system especially the Anti terror laws lack support for basic rights of accused. I wish innocent people will not suffer.

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Moona

Dec 18, 2014 12:37pm

Exterminate them and exterminate their narrative.

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adnan

Dec 18, 2014 12:48pm

pak army is not very sucessful in this operation. pakistan will be fruther disturbed, we dnt have enough army to control new fronts just brace for impact and dont put false hopes on your intelligence agencies and politicians wills, you will be fooling yoursel. they are all puppets, those in power puppets of foreign lands, those on containers 200% puppets of internal hands (invisibles....) so they all are a fail as is this nation and country. do what you can while still you can get break and butter from shop

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Sammy

Dec 18, 2014 12:51pm

@jay patel what about the terrorist groups you have in your country who are not muslims! What do doing about them????

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hira shah

Dec 18, 2014 12:57pm

lets see who get executed...I still doubt this Govt courage to execute the top militants

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Imran

Dec 18, 2014 01:05pm

@jay patel "What about mumbai 26/11 court trial? When would you start that?". Very valid point. All co-operation must be extended to India for providing quick justice. If Hafiz Saeed is so innocent then why fear? Go to India and face the courts.

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Ehtisham Hussain

Dec 18, 2014 01:20pm

Execute terrorists without any mercy, it will be a deterrent for the criminals to commit further crimes.

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Shafaat

Dec 18, 2014 01:24pm

When we lost everything then we become united. What is this foolish nation.

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Shah

Dec 18, 2014 01:31pm

Death penalty for terrorists, meaning Pakistan laws, are changed and put on hold because of internation pressures? Pressure by whom? NGOs? Parliment is selected to make laws according to the demands of the Pakistani people, not foreiners! If we can not even expect the government and parliment to uphold Pakistani laws then we are better without this democracy supported by every corrupt man in power.

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Burki

Dec 18, 2014 01:34pm

@jay patel : lets start with trial for the terrorists who carried out Samjotha Express carnage first.

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Muhib

Dec 18, 2014 01:49pm

so basically if army kids are killed then its death penalty otherwise international pressure? What kind of screwed argument is that. Kids are kids whether civilian or of army men.

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Sohrab Gilani

Dec 18, 2014 01:59pm

Dear Mr. President, I salute you and your bravery. Remember, as far as they (terrorists) are concerned they are going to heaven and you are doing them a favor by sending them quickly. They wont mind in the least. We should get that in writing from them and send to the EU if it objects. Also various European institutions such as Transparency international support the death penalty. We should point out the actions of such European institutions in Bangladesh if they try to jeopardize our GSP Plus status . Yours Truly, Sohrab Gilani

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Parvez

Dec 18, 2014 02:02pm

That is the first correct thing ....or rather anything ...... that the President has done in the last 19 months.

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Prado

Dec 18, 2014 02:07pm

good

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Common sense

Dec 18, 2014 02:13pm

@jay patel... You should ask your judicial system to release facts and proofs of 26/11 and it's trials ... You are wasting your time on wrong web page, fueling useless debate with your nonsense disillusional comments.

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Shahbaz Ahmad

Dec 18, 2014 03:58pm

All the death penalty convicts should be hanged immediately irrespective they are Talban or other than Talban to maintain peace in the country, However it was due security laps on the part of Prov. & federal Govt. both are responsible of this massacre.

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ziavrep labqi

Dec 18, 2014 04:28pm

The President should do some real work now - work overtime/burn the midnight oil if need be - and dispose off all the mercy petitions en mass. And curiously, do the savages and barbarians deserve mercy? Did their kind show any mercy to the numerous innocent kids and their teachers in Peshawar on Tuesday? They should be hanged publicly.

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mohsin

Dec 18, 2014 05:38pm

What will this mean for Aasia bibi?

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mohsin

Dec 18, 2014 05:42pm

@ziavrep labqi Agree wholeheartedly

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Ijaz

Dec 18, 2014 05:52pm

When will Mumtaz Qadri be hung? Or do we still have bad terrorists and 'untouchables'

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sidra sajjad

Dec 18, 2014 06:18pm

good..happy to know this

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Iftikhar Khan

Dec 18, 2014 07:24pm

Provide strength and security to those who are involved in the whole process, provide security to witness. Use this momentum to make practical conviction law. Right now it is almost impossible to convict anyone, and then those who risk their lives in making arrest face the brunt.

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Hari Singh

Dec 18, 2014 08:22pm

Right action by Pakistan.

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zak

Dec 18, 2014 08:49pm

The only good thing I can recall, Mr President has done, in his entire tenure.

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Monarch

Dec 18, 2014 08:53pm

Evil shall be dealt with Evil

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umer

Dec 19, 2014 01:09am

treat all killers as terrorist (religious, political, ethical parties or groups ), and hang them.. no appeal of mercy for them ..send back all afghan, burmi, Bangladeshi etc . seal the border specially from Afghanistan , India , Iran with mines or wall whatever it takes ... seal each big city and then clean it one by one show no mercy to anyone

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p r sharma

Dec 19, 2014 04:27pm

@Burki : for your information those who found guilty in samjhauta express are already identified , tried in the court and punishment awarded (jailed). one of the master mind of Mumbai attack and giving instructions from Karachi to the attackers whose conversation with attackers has been intercepted , recorded and submitted to Pakistani government as evidence but Pak government is unwilling and giving meaning less excuses as the evidences as inadequate to prosecute and delaying the same. While the many other governments believe it to be true and acceptable. Do you know these developments or fed with the anti India rhetoric? ( i am afraid my comments will not be published )

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