Islamabad: Two militants belonging to banned Sipah-e-Sahaba sectarian outfit were hanged today, as the Pakistan government pressed ahead with the execution of terrorists despite criticism by international rights groups. The executions take the number of those hanged till now to nine after Pakistan lifted its self-imposed moratorium on capital punishment following the Peshawar school massacre last month that killed 150 people, mostly children.
Ahmed Ali alias Sheshnag and Ghulam Shabbir alias Fauji alias doctor belonged to banned Sipah-e-Sahaba organisation and were hanged this morning in the central jail of Multan. Dawn reported that Ahmed Ali, a resident of Shorkot, Jhang district, was hanged for killing three men in 1998. Ghulam Shabbir, a resident of Talamba area of Khanewal district had killed Deputy Superintendent of Police Anwar Khan and his driver Ghulam Murtaza on the Bohar Gate Road in 2000. He was sentenced to death by a special anti-terrorism court in 2002.
The warrants were issued by anti-terrorism courts as mercy petitions of the convicts had been rejected by the President.
Pakistan ended its six-years-old moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases last month after the horrific terror attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. Following the removal of moratorium, President Mamnoon Hussain has turned town mercy appeals of 17 convicts for death penalty.
Since then, nine prisoners have been executed despite concerns raised by the United Nations, European Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch groups, who say Pakistan is overusing its anti-terror laws and courts to prosecute ordinary crimes.
Six of those executed were found guilty of trying to assassinate then-military dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2003 and the seventh was sentenced in connection with a 2009 attack on the army headquarters.
About 8,000 death row prisoners are in the line of execution in Pakistan.
