Nine 'hardcore terrorists' set to be hanged in Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 1: Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif confirmed the death sentences on the nine men who were sentenced for terror offences.

Muhammad Ghauri, who was an active member of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was involved in an attack on Parade Lane Mosque, Rawalpindi, in December 2009 that killed 38 people and left 57 others injured, Dawn online reported.

Abdul Qayyum, an active member of Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islam, was involved in the attack on Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Headquarters (HQ) in Multan in December 2009, that killed seven people.

Muhammad Imran, TTP member, and Aksan Mehboob, Al Qaeda member, were involved in attacks on law enforcement agencies.

The other five convicts -- Adbul Rauf Gujjar, Muhammad Hashim, Sulaman, Shafqat Farooqi and Muhammad Farhan -- were active members of Sipah-i-Sahaba. They were involved in the killing of civilians in Lahore.

In 2015, 326 people were hanged after Pakistan lifted the moratorium on the death penalty following the December 2014 attack on Peshawar's Army Public School, in which over 150 -- 136 of them school children -- were killed.

IANS