UK reacts to military courts sentences against May 9 rioters

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom (UK) government reacted to the sentences handed down by Pakistan’s military courts to May 9 rioters, ARY News reported.

The Military Courts convicted 25 suspects of May 9 violence after examining all the evidence and completing the appropriate legal process, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Reacting to the development, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said that “while the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial.”

The UK government called on the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

The May 9 riots suspects were awarded up to 10 years imprisonment by the military courts in Pakistan.

“Field General Court Martial (FGCM) have in first phase promulgated the punishments to 25 accused,” the ISPR said.

“On 9 May 2023, nation witnessed tragic incidents of politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan. Building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the installations of the Armed Forces including desecration of the monuments of Shuhada.”

Terming May 9 as ‘Black Day’, the military’s media wing said that sequel to the events, irrefutable evidences were collected through meticulous investigations to legally prosecute the accused involved. Certain cases were subsequently referred for Field General Court Martial as per law, where they underwent trials following due process.

The verdicts were announced after the Supreme Court’s (SC) Constitutional Bench conditionally allowed military courts to do so in 85 trials.

“These blatant acts of violence not only shocked the nation but also underscored necessity of checking this unacceptable attempt of political terrorism to impose own perverted will through violence and coercion,” the ISPR’s statement read.

According to the ISPR, the promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused is also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process is completed.