Pakistan military courts award death sentence to 6 "hardcore terrorists"

Military courts in Pakistan have handed down death sentence to six "hardcore terrorists" in first ever verdict since their establishment in January, the military said Thursday.

The government had decided to set up military-led special courts after the Taliban's brutal attack on an army-run school in Peshawar in December last year that had killed 140 children and 10 of their teachers.

The courts had formally started work in February and the interior ministry had sent 12 terrorism-related cases.

"The military courts were involved in hearing of cases of heinous act of terrorism, manslaughter, suicide bombing and loss of life and property," the army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Asim Bajwa, said.

The Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has confirmed the death sentence of "six hardcore terrorists tried by the recently established military courts," the spokesman said in a statement. The statement was posted on the spokesman's official Twitter.

The convicts have the right to appeal to courts of appeal, the spokesman said.

The statement did not reveal names of the convicts and that when and where the trial had been held.

The parliament had introduced an amendment in the constitution to set up the military courts for the speedy trial as officials had insisted that people involved in terrorism escape punishment in the regular judicial system or their trial is delayed.

Officials said that the provincial governments have prepared lists of the cases to be referred to the military courts in the coming weeks. Endi