LAHORE, 26 DEC (DNA) – A special anti-terrorism court on Friday fixed January 14 for hanging of two convicted terrorists at Faisalabad district jail.
Superintendent of Faisalabad jail in his petition stated that prisoner Faiz Ahmad was awarded death penalty in 2006 for killing Lance Naik Tariq Mahmood in Nankana Sahib in 2000. He said the second prisoner on death row, Muhammad Sharif, was convicted in 2000 for involvement in various terrorism activities.
The jail chief told court that mercy petitions of the both convicts had also been rejected by President; therefore, the court should issue death warrants of the convicts for their execution. The court approved the application and issued the death warrants.
After hearing the parties, the court has set January 14 for execution of both terrorists.
Authorities plan to execute around 500 militants in coming weeks, after the government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases following a terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar.
At least six terrorists have been hanged since Friday amid rising public anger over December 16 slaughter in the northwestern city of Peshawar, which left 149 people dead including 133 children.
Of the six hanged so far, five were involved in a failed attempt to assassinate then military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2003, while one was involved in a 2009 attack on the army headquarters. DNA