[JURIST] The new military courts established in Pakistan sentenced six Islamic militants to death on Thursday and a seventh to life in prison for their involvement in terrorism. A military spokesman said [Reuters report] the seven men were convicted of “heinous offenses” including terrorism, murder, suicide bombing, kidnapping for ransom and colossal damage to life and property. The military court said those convicted could appeal. Pakistan’s nine military courts were established in January after Taliban militants attacked a school in Peshawar, killing 134 students and 19 adults. Military power was subsequently expanded, giving military courts jurisdiction to try civilians accused of terrorism despite the country’s civilian government. Critics argue that the new procedures defer too much power to the military. Allegations of torture and judicial abuse were widespread during the reign of previous Pakistani military courts. However, many Pakistanis support the military courts due to the crumbling civilian system.

Pakistan’s use of the death penalty since December in both the civilian and military courts has faced widespread criticism. When the country’s six-year death penalty moratorium was lifted [JURIST report] last December, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif [official profile] said the death penalty would only be applied to terrorism-related cases. However, last month the Pakistan Ministry of Interior lifted the country’s moratorium on the death penalty, permitting hangings for all prisoners [JURIST report] who have exhausted all possible appeals. The UN estimates that several hundred of the 8,000 inmates on Pakistan’s death row are minors [JURIST report]. Amnesty International [advocacy website] called on Pakistan in January to end the increase in executions following the Peshawar school attack, and in February the rights group said that use of the death penalty in Pakistan is undergoing a “disturbing and dangerous” [JURIST report] escalation after the execution of two men convicted of non-terrorism offenses. A judge in Pakistan’s Lahore District and Sessions Courtm[official website] sentenced [JURIST report] an offender to death for blasphemy last month. Also last month Pakistani authorities hung 12 men [JURIST report], the largest number of people executed in a single day since the moratorium was lifted.