Islamabad: The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended implementation of death sentences awarded to six convicts by military courts.

A petition seeking stay of executions ordered by military courts was filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association.

The number of executions in Pakistan since the government withdrew a moratorium on the death penalty in December has risen to 71.

Five more death row prisoners were executed in various jails in Punjab province on Thursday morning.

The moratorium was lifted a day after a deadly attack by militants on the Army Public School on December 16 in Peshawar, capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkwa province.

The executions took place in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Faisalabad. Those executed had been awarded death sentences in murder cases by civil courts at different times over the past several years.

The UN, the European Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged the government to reimpose the moratorium on the death penalty.

Thousands convicted prisoners are on death row in various jails across the country.

Nine military courts were set up early this year for two years under intensified anti-terrorism campaign after the parliament passed 21st constitutional amendment brought up by the government for the purpose.

“The execution of military courts’ death sentences, those which have already been awarded and those which will be awarded, is suspended,” Chief Justice Nasir ul Mulk said.

Those convicted by military courts could appeal against their sentences, the chief justice said.

The apex court issued a notice to Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt and adjourned the hearing until April 22.

Human rights activist Asma Jehangir had filed the petition on behalf of the Supreme Court bar.

The petition pleads that the implementation of death sentences awarded by military courts should be halted until a 17-judge full court disposes of challenges pertaining to the 21st constitutional amendment.

It says that if the convicted militants are sentenced to death before the Supreme Court disposes of the case challenging the establishment of military courts, justice will be compromised.

On April 2, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had ratified the death sentence awarded by military courts to six Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and life-imprisonment to one.

The decision drew a strong reaction from legal experts and rights activists.

The recent trials by the military courts were neither made public nor were they transparent, the petition of the Supreme Court bar contends.

The petition further contends that military trials did not ordinarily observe principles of due process and, therefore, the apprehensions of the petitioner were genuine and had merits.

Those sentenced to death penalty, the petition argued, were especially vulnerable because if “it is executed it will be irreversible”.