Raheel signs death warrants for schoolchildren killers

REUTERS

Signing of death warrants by Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif removes the legal bar on the hangings of the schoolchildren killers.

This removes the legal bar on the hangings of the 4 convicts.

Pakistan Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Monday signed death warrants of four militants convicted by military courts for involvement in the deadly attack at an army-run school in north-western city of Peshawar in December.

The mercy appeals of Maulvi Abdus Salam, Hazrat Ali, Mujeebur Rehman and Sabeel alias Yahya were rejected by the President of Pakistan on November 20.

Gen, Sharif signed the black warrants of the four convicts, who were sentenced to death by special military court established after the school attack for speedy trial of militants, the Army said in a statement.

Now, no legal bar on hanging

After the signing of death warrants, there is no legal bar on the hangings of the convicts.

Pakistan lifted moratorium on the penalties in the country after December 16 attack at the army-run school which killed at least 150 people, mostly students.

So far about 300 convicts have been hanged in the country, upsetting local and international human rights groups.