Will not allow Army to take “illegal steps”: Pakistan’s Chief Justice on military trial of civilians

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, emphasized on Thursday that the armed forces will not be permitted to take any actions that violate the Constitution as a six-judge bench heard a set of petitions challenging the trials of civilians in military courts, ARY News reported.

This statement came during a session of a six-judge panel, led by the Chief Justice himself and including Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Ayesha Malik.

Today, the six-judge bench heard a set of petitions where the CJP said that the 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.

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.

“Full court is not available till September,” Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said while announcing a reserved verdict on Karamat Ali’s fresh plea filed on Monday.

The trials of civilians arrested for involvement in the May 9 violence have not been started yet, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court at an earlier hearing, Geo News reported.

While announcing the verdict, the CJP said that court holidays are going on while there are other engagements of the judges as well, which are being affected by this case.

He also said that a full court was formed by dissolving other benches on two occasions earlier, Geo News reported.
The Chief Justice then turned down the plea, saying a full court was not available till September.
In the month of May, the government decided to try the suspects accused of attacking military installations on May 9 under army laws, as per ARY News.

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, reported ARY News. (ANI)