SC rejects appeals of 16 terrorists; upholds military court verdict

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court has on Monday rejected the appeals of 16 accused sentenced to death by military courts on charges of terrorism. A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, heard the appeals and upheld verdicts of the military courts. The military courts had handed death sentences to suspects for their involvement in terrorist activities like the Parade Lane terrorist attack and the Bannu jail attack, as well as other incidents of terrorism. Renowned lawyer Asma Jehangir had challenged the military court judgment in the apex court. The petitioners had pleaded that they had been denied their right to fair trial. Lawyers for all 16 convicts contended their clients had been tried in secret, without access to legal counsel of their choice, and that their confessions had been recorded illegally. They also claimed they were denied access to military court records when preparing their appeals. Pakistan has been battling the TTP and its allies including al-Qaeda since 2007.