Pakistan army chief confirms death sentences for 11 Taliban

They were found guilty of carrying out multiple attacks that killed 36 civilians and 24 troops in recent years

Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. (File Photo)

Pakistan’s army chief has confirmed death sentences for 11 “hardcore terrorists” after military courts found them guilty of carrying out multiple attacks targeting civilians and security forces in recent years.

In a statement on Saturday, the military said General Qamar Javed Bajwa also approved imprisonment for three people for their involvement in acts of terrorism. It said the 11 convicted Pakistani Taliban had killed 36 civilians and 24 troops in separate attacks in the country.

The trials are closed to the public but defendants are allowed to hire lawyers.

Military trials for militants

Pakistan resumed military trials for militants and lifted a moratorium on the death penalty after a 2014 attack on a school in Peshawar that killed more than 150 people, mostly young students.