ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday maintained its earlier order to halt the execution of convicts, handed down death sentence by the military courts.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali heard the appeals against the military court sentence. The court on May 10 had stayed the execution of the convicts. Ajab Gul, Fazal Ghaffar, Zarba Khelaw and Khan Afsar Khan had approached the apex court against the Peshawar High Court judgement.

The top court issued notice to secretaries Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior, JAG branch and Attorney General for Pakistan.

During the proceedings, the chief justice said they had decided that one bench should hear the cases of death sentences handed down by the military courts. He said the same bench would hear these petitions along with other applications of similar nature.

The chief justice on May 24, hearing Muhammad Arabi’s plea, had directed the SC office to club all the appeals against death sentence awarded by military courts and fix them before one bench for hearing.

Ahmed Raza Kasuri appeared on behalf of Fazal Ghaffar, advocate Laiq Khan Swati represented Mst Zarba Khelaw and former president Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jehangir represented Ajab Gul and Khan Afsar Khan.

They prayed to the court that till that time the execution on the death sentence be halted. The chief justice, accepting their request, maintained its order of May 10 granting stay against the execution of death sentence.

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had confirmed the death sentence of the convicts, which are allegedly involved in attack on Army Public School and having links with the terrorists’ organisations. The Peshawar High Court on April 13 had upheld the death sentence handed down by the military courts to six militants, including Taj Gul and Fazal Ghaffar.

The case was adjourned till third week of June.