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Pakistani officials admitted yesterday that the country plans to execute around 500 convicts in coming weeks.
The government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases last week following a school massacre and six militants have been hanged amid widespread public fury over Tuesday’s slaughter in Peshawar, which left 149 people dead, including 133 children.
After the attack, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended the six-year moratorium.
“The Interior Ministry has finalised the cases of 500 convicts,” a government offical said.
“Their mercy petitions have been turned down by the president and executions will take place in coming weeks.”
Judges have been passing death sentences throughout the period of the moratorium in the expectation of it ending.
Police and troops have been deployed across the country and airports and prisons put on red alert.
Human Rights Watch termed the executions “a craven politicised reaction to the Peshawar killings” and demanded no further hangings.
