Military trial of civilians: Will stop army from any unconstitutional step, says CJP Bandial

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday said the armed forces would not be allowed to take “unconstitutional steps” as a six-judge bench heard a set of petitions challenging the trials of civilians in military courts, ARY News reported.

The bench, headed by the CJP and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Ayesha Malik, heard the case.

At the outset of today’s hearing, the CJP expressed regret over the May 9 events and stressed that he didn’t want the “army to raise their weapons against the people of Pakistan”.

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He said armed forces should be praised for not opening fire on civilians despite the violence on May 9. “However, the military will not be allowed to take any illegal steps,” he noted.

Justice Bandial further said the court was of the opinion that there was a further need to hear Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan’s arguments.

“The court would not be able to hear AGP for at least two weeks due to the unavailability of judges,” he remarked and adjourned the hearing of petitions against military trials of civilians indefinitely.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking the formation of a full court bench to hear a set of pleas challenging the trials of civilians in military courts.

Military trials

In the month of May, the government decided to try the suspects accused of attacking military installations on May 9 under army laws.

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9.

Army installations, Corps Commander’s house in Lahore and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi came under attack during a protest by PTI workers.

Pleas

Following the arrests made in connection with the violent riots that erupted across the country on May 9, the government announced its decision to hold military court trials of those found guilty of damaging and attacking military instalments — a move both the government and the army considered a low blow.

In light of this decision, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, legal expert Aitzaz Ahsan, and five civil society members, including Piler Executive Director Karamat Ali, requested the apex court to declare the military trials “unconstitutional”.