COAS concerned as cases dry up at military courts

Writes to PM saying no cases sent in last nine months; interior ministry says 90 cases await cabinet approval

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to the lack of terrorism-related cases being transferred to military courts.

He has informed the PM that the government has not forwarded any cases to military courts since January this year.

A source privy to the development told Express News that Gen Qamar has written a demi-official (DO) letter to explain the issue prior to it being referred officially.

"I have no doubt that the government is serious about implementing the National Action Plan. However, no case has been forwarded to military courts for last many months," the COAS wrote in the letter.

The source said that after receiving the Army chief's letter, PM Abbasi requested that the interior ministry brief him on the status of the cases.



He said Abbasi has also directed the ministry to expedite the process of transferring cases.

Cases in process

In response to the PM's notice, the interior ministry informed the PM office that it has prepared recommendations for more than 90 cases to be transferred to military courts, the source said.

He said the ministry has also informed the PM office that it will request formal approval to transfer the cases during the next meeting of the federal cabinet.

He said the ministry was bound to submit the cases to the federal cabinet as the Supreme Court has defined the federal cabinet as the federal government for the purpose of case referrals.

He said that before January this year, the prime minister, on behalf of the federal government, could unilaterally approval such transfers.