ISLAMABAD, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday confirmed the death sentence to another 12 "hardcore terrorists," who were involved in heinous offenses related to attacking armed forces, law enforcement agencies, destruction of educational institution and killing of innocent civilians, the military said.
An army statement said the convicts were also involved in attacking two major prisons in the cities of Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2012 and 2013 respectively and had freed hundreds of militants.
These convicts were tried by special military courts and they all had admitted their offenses before the magistrates and the trial court.
The convicts have the right of appeal to the country's president under the law, according to the legal experts. However, the president has previously rejected all mercy petitions in terrorism-related cases.
It is the second time in less than two weeks the army chief has confirmed the death penalty to the militants.
On July 2, the army chief had also confirmed death sentences to 12 hardcore terrorists.
The army courts were set up after the terrorist attack on an army school in December 2014 for the speedy trial of the terrorism-related accused. Nearly 150 people, almost all students, were killed in the attack.?
