PPP continues opposition over revival of military courts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party on Saturday refused to budge and continued its opposition of the revival of the military courts.

Addressing media after hosting multi-party conference here, chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the decision on the contentious issue will be made after consultation with legal experts.

Bilawal said that conference was attended by over thirteen political parties. He said that some political parties had expressed reservations over the revival of military courts and on the FATA reforms.

“We are against military courts,” he said. “If there is a need for military courts then we will present a draft after consultations with legal experts.”

He said that the government had failed completely in implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and displayed gross criminal negligence in handling the issues under it.

He further called for the immediate merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that it would be great injustice if it will be delayed.

PPP leader Farhatullah Babar while addressing media later, clarified that a committee has been formed under Farooq H. Naek to consult legal experts and if necessary then a draft will be presented to the opposition parties.

He said that Asif Ali Zardari had also opposed the revival of military courts. He said that the government should clarify the definition of a terrorist organisation.

It is hereby noted that the PML-N led government, PTI and other political parties with exception of the PPP in a meeting of the parliamentary leaders on February 28 were reached to a consensus in a meeting about revival of the military courts for next two years.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had said that a joint session of the parliament will be summoned on March 6 to approve the constitutional amendment bill on the extension of the military courts.

Addressing media after the meeting of parliamentary leaders, Dar said he hoped the PPP which did not attend the meeting will reach a consensus by March 4 and attend the session to approve the bill.

He said that extraordinary times called for drastic measures and that military courts were the need of the hour to address the increasing wave of terror in the country.