PAKISTAN CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCES FOR NINE MILITANTS LINKED TO TERRORIST ATTACKS

Pakistan's army announced the death penalty for nine hardline militants linked to a series of terrorist attacks across the country.
The men were convicted by military courts established as part of a crackdown on militancy following a massacre at a school in the north-west city of Peshawar on Dec 16 last year, in which more than 150 people, mostly children, were killed.
Parliament approved the use of the courts for the next two years, and the Supreme Court endorsed the move last month, rejecting claims it was unconstitutional.
"The army chief confirms death sentence of nine hard core terrorists involved in killing civilians/law enforcement agencies personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and sectarian killings," in south-western Baluchistan province, military spokesman Major-General Asim Bajwa said in a brief tweet.
The militants were also involved in several other incidents including attacks on senior army officials and a mosque in the northwestern city of Nowshera.
"One terrorist(was)awarded life imprisonment," Maj-Gen Bajwa said but did not disclose the convicted person's name or other details.