LAHORE: Following the Lahore High Court (LHC), the Punjab government has amended the Prisons Rules of 1978 to provide for the execution of condemned terrorists in three to eight days after the issue of their black warrants.

It had amended the rules in late December to provide for the hanging one to 14 days after the issue of black warrants in response to the withdrawal of the presidential moratorium on execution in the aftermath of the Peshawar ArmyPublic School tragedy.

The original rules provided for the execution of a condemned prisoner 14 to 21 days after the issue of their black warrant. The relaxation was aimed at allowing the convict to meet their relatives and record their last wish.

The government had in December reduced the time limit to one day to 14 days to quickly execute terrorists to pace up with war against terrorists.

Official said the LHC in the meantime also amended its rules to provide for the execution after three to eight days of the issue of the black warrant with the premise that the condemned prisoners should be allowed sufficient time to meet their relatives or record their will.

`We have also followed the suit and amended our rules accordingly to synchronize the execution related provisions in the rules of the high court and the provincial government,` an official said.