Pakistan plans to execute around 500 militants following the deadliest terror attack in the nation’s history, officials said Monday.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reinstated the death penalty for terrorism-related cases in response to Tuesday’s attack on a school in Peshawar, which left 149 people, including 133 children, dead, the Agence France-Presse reported.
“Interior ministry has finalized the cases of 500 convicts who have exhausted all the appeals, their mercy petitions have been turned down by the president and their executions will take place in coming weeks,” a senior government official told AFP.
Six militants have reportedly been hanged since Friday, five of which were reportedly involved in a failed 2003 attempt to assassinate then-military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
Human Rights Watch on Saturday condemned the executions as “a craven politicized reaction to the Peshawar killings.” The United Nations also calling for Pakistan to reconsider, AFP reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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