PAKISTAN plans to execute around 500 militants in coming weeks after the government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases following a Taliban school massacre.

Six militants have been hanged since Friday amid rising public anger over the slaughter in the north-western city of Peshawar, which left 149 people dead including 133 children.

After the deadliest terror attack in Pakistani history, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended the six-year moratorium on the death penalty, reinstating it for terrorism-related cases.

“Interior ministry has finalised the cases of 500 convicts who have exhausted all the appeals, their mercy petitions have been turned down by the president and their executions will take place in coming weeks,” a senior government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A second official confirmed the information.

Of the six hanged so far, five were involved in a failed attempt to assassinate the then-military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2003, while one was involved in a 2009 attack on army headquarters. Police, troops and paramilitary Rangers have been deployed across the country and airports and prisons put on red alert as the executions take place and troops intensify operations against Taliban militants in north-western tribal areas.

Mr Sharif has ordered the attorney general’s office to “actively pursue” capital cases currently in the courts, a government spokesman said.

“Prime Minister has also issued directions for appropriate measures for early disposal of pending cases related to terrorism,” the spokesman said without specifically confirming the plan to execute 500.

Pakistan has described Tuesday’s bloody rampage as its own “mini 9/11”, calling it a game-changer in the fight against extremism.

The decision to reinstate executions has been condemned by human rights groups, with the United Nations also calling for it to reconsider.

Human Rights Watch called the executions “a craven politicised reaction to the Peshawar killings” and demanded that no further hangings be carried out.

Pakistan began its de facto moratorium on civilian executions in 2008, but hanging remains on the statute books and judges continue to pass death sentences.

Before Friday’s resumption, only one person had been executed since then — a soldier convicted by a court martial and hanged in November 2012.

Meanwhile, Afghan security forces have launched an operation against militants in an eastern province seen as a rear base for the Pakistani Taliban.

Pakistan’s army chief met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul in the aftermath of the school attack in the Pakistani city of Peshawar which killed 149 people, mainly children.

The army chief sought Mr Ghani’s support in defeating the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, which borders Pakistan’s restive tribal areas.

Kunar has been the scene of fierce fighting between local forces and the Afghan Taliban for the past 10 days.

“Afghan security forces have launched a joint anti-militant operations in several parts of Dangam district of Kunar province,” Dawlat Waziri, deputy defence ministry spokesman, told AFP.

“So far in the operation, 21 armed insurgents have been killed and 33 others wounded,” Mr Waziri said, adding that seven security personnel were wounded.

Kunar governor Shujaul Mulk Jalala said more than 1500 Afghan Taliban fighters attacked remote villages in Dangam.

Mr Jalala said Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were also battling Afghan security forces in Dangam.

Pakistan has repeatedly asked Afghanistan to capture and hand over Fazlullah. Each nation has long accused the other of allowing militants to shelter in the border region and launch bloody attacks that threaten regional stability.

The Afghan Taliban have stepped up their attacks as NATO wraps up its combat operations, which end on December 31.

A follow-up mission of about 12,500 US-led NATO troops will stay on to train and support Afghan security forces.