Pakistan revokes death sentence ban for terror attacks

Peshawar: A day after a Taliban attack on an army-run school here left nearly 150 people killed, nearly all of them students, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday announced the ban on death sentences in terrorist cases is being revoked and said the nation is united in the fight against terror.

All parties in Pakistan were united in fighting terrorism, Nawaz Sharif said at a press conference as leaders gathered for an all-party meeting in the Governor House here.

"It's a sad day in the history of Pakistan," Sharif said while thanking all leaders for being present in the meeting.

"We should not let the sacrifice of our children go in vain. We will keep all those pictures that came out of the Peshawar siege in our mind so that we remain upbeat to fight terrorisme. Talks with Taliban have yielded no results," he said.

"Pakistan has been fighting terrorism since a long time which has affected our economy as well. Tuesday's tragic incident was an eye-opener. We are fighting terrorism through operation Zarb-e-Azb. We have been successful and we have to cover very little ground now to counter this menace," he added.

Sharif also said that the ban on capital punishment in terrorism cases would be lifted, following which the terrorists facing death penalty could be executed.

"Earlier, all-party meetings were all futile exercises, but this time we need to act by taking some harsh steps against terrorism," the prime minister said.

The horrific terror attack took place Tuesday at the Army Public School in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. As many as 148 people, including 132 children, were killed in the attack that left the country numb with deep shock and grief.

Representatives from Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan People's Party, Qaumi Watan Party, and Pashtunkhwa Mili Awami Party, among others, participated in the meeting.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, who has been leading a protest against the government since August, too was present at the meeting.