Punjab govt moves SC against military trials verdict

The petition came a day after the defence ministry moved an intra-court appeal challenging the Oct 23 verdict.

ISLAMABAD:

The caretaker Punjab government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against the decision of a five-member bench that had declared the trials of civilians under the Army Act as unconstitutional.

On Oct 23, an SC bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik had declared trying civilians in military courts for their alleged role the attacks on military installations during the May 9 riots as ultra vires the Constitution.

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The bench had also emphasised that the cases of the suspects involved in the vandalism would proceed before criminal courts.

The Punjab government’s petition came a day after the defence ministry moved an intra-court appeal challenging the Oct 23 verdict. Previous petitions were also moved by the federal, Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments.

The petition has not yet been accepted for hearing.