Extension in military courts’ tenure imperative to address terrorism: Dar

‘Govt is working to upscale NAP, judicial reforms to prepare parallel system before ending period of military courts’

ISLAMABAD: A two-year extension in military courts’ tenure is imperative to address the issue of terrorism in the country, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said.

“We are working on a road-map to upscale the National Action Plan  and judicial reforms to prepare a parallel system before ending the period of military courts,” Dar said while talking to a private TV channel on Wednesday.



The finance minister also hoped that the Pakistan Peoples Party would accept the government’s decision regarding the duration of military courts. “It is a national issue which will be resolved with the consensus of all political parties including the PPP,” he said, adding the whole nation wanted to see the country’s leadership united against terrorism.

The PPP says (a) military courts should be presided over by one sessions judge or additional sessions judge along with a military officer; (b) the sessions/additional sessions judge will be nominated by the chief justice concerned of the relevant high court; (c) military courts should be extended for a period of one year starting from the date of approval of the new constitutional amendment; (d) cases will be subject to judicial review under Article 199 of the Constitution; (e) once a review is filed the high court concerned must decide the case within 60 days; (f) an accused to be produced within 24 hours before the court concerned where the prosecution should provide grounds of arrest to seek his/her remand; (g) the accused shall have the right to engage counsel of their choice and the provisions of Qanoon-e-Shahadat 1984 should also apply in all such cases.



Responding to a question, Dar said some countries were using Afghan soil to destabilise Pakistan. “Peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of the region.”