Political parties finally agreed to form military courts

The meeting decided to amend Pakistan Army Act and introduce constitutional amendment for establishing military courts, named as special courts in the amendment bill, to deal cases of terrorism. The big decision is taken following barbaric Taliban attack on Peshawar school on December 16 that shocked the nation. At least 148 people including 134 students were slain in the dastardly attack.

Parliamentary parties finally united on… by arynews

The consensus on NAP on counter terrorism was made in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad.

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In the connection, the amendment bill for constituting special courts will be tabled in the National Assembly on Saturday, while its voting in the Lower House will be conducted on Monday.

The special courts, to be established for a period of two years, will have judges from the armed forces.

Copy of a Joint Declaration in parliamentary leaders meeting in Islamabad. — Copy of a Joint Declaration issued after parliamentary leaders meeting in Islamabad.

Once it sails through the NA, the bill will subsequently be presented in the Senate on Tuesday for approval.

Speaking to ARY News, MQM’s Barrister Farogh Naseem said Schedule-1, Article 175 of the Constitution could be amended to form special courts.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers for Defence, Finance, Interior, Information, Planning, SAFRON, Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, Attorney General Barrister Zafarullah, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, DG ISI and DG ISPR.

Co-Chairman PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, PTI Chief Imran Khan, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Muzaffar Hussain Shah of PML-F, Mehmood Khan Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Sirajul Haq of JI, Afrasiab Khattak of ANP, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of ANP, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of PML-Q, Farooq Sattar of MQM, Hasil Khan Bizenjo of National Party, Aftab Sherpao of Qaumi Watan Party, Abbas Khan Afridi of FATA, Senator Kalsoom Parveen of BNP also participated in the consultative meeting.

Parliamentary leaders in rare unity:

All the parliamentary leaders in a marathon meeting on Friday agreed formation of special courts to deal cases of terrorism.

Speaking to media separately after the meeting, MQM’s Farooq Sattar, PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi and others had their support in common for special courts.

They were of the view that time had now come for concrete decisions to defeat the menace of terrorism once and for all.