ISLAMABAD: Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa on Monday ratified the death sentences of 12 terrorists, jail sentences for six others and the first publicly known acquittal by a military court.

The sentences for the convicted terrorists were handed down by military courts, which had tried them for terrorism. Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), while announcing the ratification of their sentences, said the convicted terrorists were involved in the planning and execution of the 2017 Parachinar Imambargah bombing and attacks on army and Frontier Constabulary personnel.

So far military courts have sentenced 219 terrorists to death, out of which 56 have been executed. Forty three executions took place after the start of Operation Raddul Fasad.

The four sentenced to death for the Imambargah attack included Ashiq Khan s/o Saad Ullah Khan, Rasheed s/o Momeen Khan, Meraj s/o Sheen Gul and Muhammad Rasool s/o Naikmat Khan. “These convicts were members of proscribed organization. They abetted the attack on Markazi Imam Bargah Parachinar, which resulted in death of 22 civilians and injuries to 130 others,” ISPR said.

The attack had occurred on March 31 and Jamat-ul-Ahrar, which has sanctuaries in Afghanistan, had then claimed responsibility for the suicide attack preceded by gunfire.

Others convicted and sentenced to death for attacks on law enforcement personnel included Jannat Karim s/o Gul Karim, Abu Bakar s/o Haider Khan, Anwar Khan s/o Abdul Janan, Ghulam Habib s/o Sher Bahadar, Abdul Ghafoor s/o Muhammad Jan, Rawaz Khan s/o Zameen Khan, Mubarik Zeb s/o Abdul Latif, and Ayub Khan s/o Haji Muhammad.

In the first public announcement of an acquittal, ISPR said Ehsan Ullah s/o Kifayat Ullah was found not guilty and has been acquitted.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018