ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa on Saturday ratified death sentence awarded by military courts to 11 terrorists and jail sentences for three others, including one involved in the 2009 attack on the Malakand University.

The ratification of the sentencing of the convicts by the army chief was announced by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the army, through a statement which said: “These terrorists were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, i.e. attacking Armed Forces/ Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan, Malakand University, destruction of various educational institutions and killing of innocent civilians.”

The convicts were said to be cumulatively involved in killing of 60 people, including 36 civilians and 24 security officials, besides injuring 142 others.

“Arms and explosives were also recovered from their possession. These convicts were tried by special military courts,” the statement said.

The latest verdicts announced by military courts take the total number of terrorism convicts sentenced to death to 218, 56 of whom have been executed. The number of executions after the launching of Operation Raddul Fasad is 43, whereas 13 others were executed earlier.

Three of the convicts — Burhanuddin, son of Umar Daraz; Shaheer Khan, son of Rehmanuddin; and Gul Faraz Khan, son of Wasli Khan — were said to have been involved in an attack on a funeral procession in Zargrano Killi, Sher Ghar (Mardan), which resulted in death of 30 civilians, including Imran Khan Mohmind, a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The three convicts were members of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Izat Khan, son of Ajib ul Bahar, was convicted and sentenced to death for the Malakand University attack, besides his involvement in killing of innocent civilians and attacks on the armed forces.

Others sentenced to death include Muhammad Zeb, son of Muhammad Nawab; Saleem, son of Abdul Mateen; Muhammad Imran, son of Hazrat Umar; Yousaf Khan, son of Ahmed Jan; Nadir Khan, son of Amir Rehman; Muhammad Arifullah Khan, son of Zareen Gul; and Bakht Muhammad Khan, son of Ghawas Khan.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2018