Pakistan executes four terrorists convicted by military courts in Peshawar terror attacks

Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday hanged four "hardcore" terrorists convicted of "heinous" terrorism-related offences by controversial military courts in the restive northwestern province, taking the number to over 160 since the Peshawar terror attack in 2014.

The terrorists belonging to a banned outfit were executed in a jail in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the worst hit due to violence by Taliban terrorists.

A part of the Peshawar army public school after the terror attack. Image used for representational purposes. AP

"They were involved in committing heinous offences relating to terrorism, including killing of innocent civilians, destruction of educational institutions, attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan and Law Enforcement Agencies," the army said.

It said the terrorists were awarded death sentence by the military courts which work in secrecy due to fear of attacks by militants.

Military courts were restored in March for another two years after their initial two-year term expired in January. The courts were set up after a constitutional amendment following a terror attack on an Army-run school in Peshawar in December 2014 which killed more than 150 people, most of them students.

Human rights group Justice Project Pakistan says 441 people have been executed since the Peshawar attack.

Pakistan has been fighting various extremist groups for over a decade. Militant attacks have killed tens of thousands of people. The military courts have handed down the death penalty to more than 160 militants.