PTI decries 'kangaroo justice' as govt cheers

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:

As the military courts swung the axe on May 9 culprits, the long-brewing discord over the riots erupted afresh on Saturday, with the government striking a triumphant tone, hailing the verdict as a victory for justice, and the PTI decrying it as "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

The former ruling party vehemently dismissed the convictions of civilians by military courts, denouncing them as a breach of fundamental rights. The party leaders also vowed to challenge the rulings.

PTI leader Omar Ayub, in a strongly-worded statement, dismissed the sentences as an affront to judicial independence. "The decision to sentence civilians in military courts is fundamentally opposed to the principles of justice and fairness," Omar Ayub Khan said in his post on X.

"Those in custody are common citizens and cannot be tried by military courts," he added.

He further argued that military courts cannot share judicial authority.

He went on to describe military courts that sentence civilians as "kangaroo courts", asserting that such courts do not have the legal authority to function as part of the state's judicial power.

The opposition leader further underscored that the armed forces are an integral part of the state's executive machinery, not its judicial apparatus.

He slammed the establishment of military courts to adjudicate matters involving ordinary citizens, calling it an attack on the independence of the judiciary and a direct violation of constitutional principles.

"Such decisions undermine the fundamental structure of the constitution, which is based on the separation of powers," he stressed, citing the Supreme Court's decision in PLD 1999/504 as a reference to support his argument.

The leader of the opposition reiterated that the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary are cornerstones of any democratic society, and any efforts to undermine them must be challenged for the sake of upholding justice and constitutional integrity

'Breach of human rights'

Similarly, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser condemned the decisions, denouncing them as a breach of human rights.

"The trials did not meet the standards of justice. We will challenge these decisions at every forum. This judicial paralysis is a national tragedy," Qaiser said, expressing disappointment over the Supreme Court's response.

"The Supreme Court's decision has deeply disheartened us. It is unfortunate to see citizens being stripped of their basic constitutional rights," he remarked.

The PTI leader warned that such actions would only deepen the sense of despair and disenfranchisement among the people. "When judicial institutions are compromised, public confidence erodes, and a wave of hopelessness spreads across the country," he stated.

Criticising the state of the judicial system, Asad Qaiser lamented, "At this moment, our judicial system stands paralysed, which is a tragedy for the country."

The former speaker reaffirmed PTI's commitment to pursuing justice despite the challenges. "We will continue our struggle to ensure that justice prevails, and we call on all democratic forces to unite against this miscarriage of justice," he declared.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, PTI legal advisers Salman Akram Raja and Latif Khosa condemned the military court convictions.

Pointing out that 25 out of 85 cases had been decided with sentences ranging from seven to ten years, Khosa argued, "We wanted the full Supreme Court to deliberate on this matter".

"These trials undermine fundamental rights, and the process lacks credibility."

Khosa also accused the establishment of orchestrating a systematic campaign against the PTI, saying that the removal of founding chairman Imran Khan from office and other political manoeuvres was the evidence of a broader agenda.

"This isn't justice; it's retribution. The May 9 events are being weaponised to sideline the PTI," he said, demanding a judicial commission to investigate the riots.

Salman Akram Raja raised concerns about the potential trial of the PTI chairman in military courts. "The world agrees that military courts are not meant for civilians. We are still grappling with the legacy of judicial tragedies like ex-PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's case—history must not repeat itself," he said, calling on the judiciary and establishment to reconsider their stance.

PTI to challenge the verdicts

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan told a private news channel that PTI intends to challenge the military court verdicts.

He stressed the need to ensure justice for everyone. He noted that the government would thoroughly examine the legal dimensions of the issue before deciding whether to approach a high court or Supreme Court.

The minister expressed optimism that a fair legal process would deliver justice. He also hoped for a favourable outcome for PTI workers, leading to their eventual release.

Government cheers verdict

On the other hand, government leaders hailed the military court decisions as a step towards justice.

While welcoming the decision, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif criticised the delay in holding perpetrators accountable, worrying that the justice delayed emboldened the culprits and their facilitators.

He said the exercise of using violence in politics would not end until the orchestrators of the horrible day were brought to justice.

"May 9 was a dark day, and the masterminds behind it must face the full force of the law," he added.

He stressed that justice should have been served swiftly like in the United States and the United Kingdom. He lamented that that those who avoided condemnation and disrespected the martyrs and victors were heroized.

"Anti-national elements would continue to encourage them," he added.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Atta Tarar echoed similar sentiments, celebrating the convictions as a victory for the country.

"Today, 25 individuals involved in attacking national installations have been sentenced. This is a message to political terrorists masquerading as leaders: you will face justice," Tarar said, accusing PTI of undermining the country's sovereignty.

He termed Imran Khan a mastermind of May 9 and his companions as planners. He said, "All those involved in the May 9 riots will meet their logical end".

Attaullah Tarar said that people had strongly rejected anti-state elements who give priority to their personal interests over national interests.

He said these people had attacked defence installations and strengthened the hands of the enemy.

"Political terrorism of attacking military installations had never happened before in the country."

"Martyrs have never been disrespected. The country comes first, not politics. It is unfortunate that the PTI founder was involved in politics of violence and promoted intolerance in the country," he added.

He said that the country's economic indicators were moving in the right direction and the credit goes to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said that the government would make all possible efforts to overcome the problems of people and provide maximum relief to them.

Similarly, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori said that the punishment of those involved in the May 9 incident had sparked hope. However, he demanded that the political party's leadership should also face accountability.

"They should be punished who pushed the youth forward. Dismantling the martyrs' monument is an intolerable act," he said, adding that justice would only be achieved once all involved in the May 9 events are held accountable.