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Pakistan hangs 2 militants involved in attack on army headquarters

20 December 2014 00:34 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Two militants, who had been handed down death penalties in terrorism-related cases, were hanged in a prison in Pakistan's Punjab province late Friday, two days after Pakistan lifted the 2008 moratorium on executions, jail officials said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Aqeel alias Dr Usman, a leader of the Punjab branch of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Arshad Mehmood, were behind the attack on the army's headquarters in October 2009.

Usman, a former employee at an army's stores, was also behind the attack on Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009.

Mehmood was believed to have been involved in an attack on former President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003. Musharraf had escaped unhurt in the attack.

Pakistan Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif, Thursday signed death warrants of six militants who had been convicted in attacks on the army's headquarters.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday announced the lifting of the 2008 moratorium on executions in Pakistan.

The decision came in the wake of the Taliban attack on the army school which killed 132 schoolchildren and nine staff members.

Jail officials said Usman and Mehmood were sent to the gallows in the industrial city of Faisalabad.

The army spokesman Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said the army chief on Thursday "signed death warrants of 6 hardcore terrorists." He said army courts had convicted the men "in accordance with law" and their executions had been pending.

As Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved implementation of the executions in terrorism-related cases, the federal government has reportedly asked all provincial governments to collect details of all convicts on death row.

Officials said that security has also been tightened for jails across Pakistan in view of the possible hanging of the convicted militants.