Pakistan to execute 500 militants in light of Peshawar massacre

Pakistan to execute 500 militants in light of Peshawar massacre

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Supporters of Pakistan Awami Tehreek hold up posters to condemn Tuesday’s Taliban attack on a military-run school in Peshawar, as they participate in a rally Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in Lahore, Pakistan. The school massacre on Tuesday horrified Pakistanis across ... more >

By Jessica Chasmar - The Washington Times - Monday, December 22, 2014

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.

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