Popa jurisdiction: Plea filed for reinstating special courts

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a petition seeking reinstatement of the dysfunctional special courts that were established under the Protection of Pakistan Act (POPA). Advocate Ghazi Ilmuddin filed the petition, contending the federal government had promulgated the Protection of Pakistan Act in 2014 to curb terrorism in the country. He said special courts were also established for trying the suspected terrorists charged under the specific law. The government, however, did not extend the law after its two-year term expired in 2016, leading to the suspension of the special courts. The lawyer argued that the courts made under POPA should be re-established since the menace of terrorism was yet to be eradicated.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2016.