The Supreme Court on Friday issued a stay order against the Peshawar High Court's (PHC) acquittal of 68 terrorists who had been convicted by military courts.

A two-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Azmat Saeed also ordered the jail superintendent to halt the release of the accused.

The accused had received varying sentences, including death, in a number of cases. The PHC had recently overturned the military court sentences on the basis of a lack of evidence. The Defence Ministry had subsequently filed appeals against the PHC's decision.

Additional Attorney General Sajid Ilyas Bhatti on Friday said that the PHC had not taken an accurate review of the facts.

He said that the accused were involved in crimes such as terrorism and asked that the military court sentences be restored.

The top court on Friday issued notices to all the parties involved and adjourned the case indefinitely.

On November 2, the SC also approved the hearing of appeals filed by the federal government against the PHC's decision to set aside punishments awarded to 74 convicts by military courts in various cases of terrorism.