Pakistan: Four convicted terrorists executed May 10

Event

Four convicted terrorists were sentenced to death by hanging by military courts on Wednesday, May 10. All four were active members of the outlawed terrorist group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). They were found guilty of a number of violent offences including terrorism, the killing of innocent civilians, attacking a mosque, destruction of communication infrastructure, and attacking law enforcement agencies and armed forces.

Context

Although military courts were officially disbanded on January 7, 2017, parliament granted the courts a two year extension in March 2017.

Extremist Islamist groups continue to pose a threat throughout the country, carrying out attacks despite an army offensive launched in 2014 to push them out of their northwestern strongholds, located near the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan suffered a number of deadly attacks earlier in the year. On February 21, three attackers wearing suicide belts attacked a courthouse in the Tangi area of Charsadda district. At least four people were killed and several others injured; all three assailants were also killed. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and Islamic State (IS) perpetrated several other attacks in February 2016, killing around 130 people. These attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the Tribal Areas, in Peshawar, and in Lahore.

Advice

Due to the high threat of terrorism (as well as kidnapping and sectarian violence), individuals present in Pakistan are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities. To reduce the risk of kidnapping, individuals should avoid falling into daily routines (i.e. vary the times and routes of travel) to avoid becoming a predictable and vulnerable target. Some Western governments advise their citizens against travel to Pakistan, where foreign nationals, in particular Westerners, may be directly targeted.