Military courts: PML-Q announces its own nine points

The move comes a day after former president Asif Ali Zardari announced his party’s nine recommendations

LAHORE: A group of four parties, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on Tuesday presented its own recommendations for the revival of military courts.

The move came a day after former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari announced his party’s nine recommendations on the issue during a news conference in Islamabad.

The three allies of the PML-Q – Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sunni Ittehad Council and Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen – presented nine points for the revival of military courts at a meeting held at the residence of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Now three drafts — one each being prepared by the ruling PML-N, the PPP and the PML-Q — are likely to be presented in parliament.

Tuesday’s meeting was attended by former deputy prime minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Nasir Sherazi of the Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen and others.

The nine points read 1) military courts be given two years’ extension, 2) terrorism should be defined and explained and a debate should be held in parliament in this regard, 3) it should be clarified in the law that no political party and its worker will be victimised in the light of proposed amendments, 4) public protest against price hike, governance, load-shedding, law and order, unemployment and extra-democratic steps of the government and difference of opinion of political parties and protests against local administration will not be considered as anti-state and terrorism act, 5) all stages from the verdict of the military courts to the decision on the appeals should be completed in fixed and the shortest possible time period, 6) the proposed amendments should not affect political workers’ expression of views against the government and freedom of media, 7) an accused should have the right to engage lawyers of their choice, 8) all major incidents of terrorism – including the Model Town tragedy, Sehwan Sharif, Quetta High Court incident, Gulshan Iqbal Park Lahore, Jamia Naeemia, Alamdar Road Quetta, Shikarpur incident in which people became victims be first tried in military courts as a test case, and 9) for check and balance on the cases sent to the military courts, a parliamentary committee be set up in which all parliamentary parties be given representation.

Replying to questions, Hussain and other leaders said the matter regarding extension of military courts should not be made an issue “nor are we going to allow this to happen”.

In reply to another question about the inclusion of session judges and law of evidence, they said summary trial will not be possible in this manner.

“The objective of establishing military courts is army summary trial of terrorism cases because it is not possible to convict culprits under ordinary laws and for this laws have been amended in many countries, including the USA.”

The PML-Q president said unanimous points of the four parties will be presented in the Senate by Senator Kamil Ali Agha and in the National Assembly by MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2017.