Pakistan hangs two militants from outlawed sectarian group
Pakistan hanged two members of an outlawed sectarian group on Wednesday, the latest in a string of executions after the government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty following a militant attack on a school in which 153 people were killed.
Pakistan has pledged to step up its campaign against militants following the attack, reinstating the death penalty, announcing the establishment of military courts and expanding operations against remote Taliban hideouts on the Afghan border.
Critics have, however, accused the authorities of not cracking down equally on all militants, only targeting those who fight against the state and sparing others with a narrower sectarian agenda or who are focused on fighting outside Pakistan.
The two convicts executed on Wednesday, however, belonged to the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Sunni sectarian group - suggesting that the government is widening its campaign.
