Islamabad:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf squarely rejects the decision of the Supreme Court allowing the trial of civilians before the military courts, affirming that this would lead to a constitutional crisis. The party urged the chief judge to form a full court to settle the issue.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after the SC’s decision, the head of the PTI Salman Akram Raja called him “another dark day” for the country, saying that the Constitution had been attacked. “It is the darkest day of my career as a lawyer,” said Raja, adding: “The whole nation feels sorrow to today’s verdict.”
He said that the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court had rendered a judgment that had undermined the progress of the last 80 years. Referring to article 175, paragraph 3, which entered into force in 1988 to define the boundaries between the executive and the judiciary, he declared: “The decision of today has dismantled the foundations of the constitutional structure.”
According to the decision, the army officers will decide the fate of the civilians on closed doors, said Raja, adding, they could grant a sentence to life or to death according to their discretion. He stressed that Pakistan would be the only country where civilians will be tried in military courts.
He said a bench of five members was earlier qualified as unconstitutional and illegal military courts. Then an appeal was filed in 2023 against the decision. In October 2024, the 26th constitutional amendment was adopted and a constitutional bench was formed with judges of their choice, said the head of the PTI.
He said that the CB decision had deprived Pakistani citizens of fair trial.
On this occasion, Babar Awan said that the SC’s decision had led to a new constitutional crisis.
