PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday stayed the execution of three militants convicted by military courts and issued notices to the federal government and Defence Ministry to submit case records in the next hearing.

A two-member bench of the PHC heard writ petitions filed by the lawyers of Muhammad Ayaz, Muhammad Taib and Abdul Jalal, who were convicted by a military court.

The bench was informed that Ayaz, a resident of Swat, was arrested by security forces in 2009. Taib, a resident of Abbottabad, was arrested in 2014, and Jalal, a resident of Matta Swat, was arrested in 2010.

On 15 July 2016, Inter-Services Public Relations announced that Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had confirmed the death warrants of 12 'hardcore terrorists' convicted of various terror activities, including killing of civilians, soldiers and policemen. Ayaz, Taib, and Jalal were among the 12.