Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court will take up about a dozen petitions filed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and several others October 23, challenging the trial of civilians in military courts, it emerged Friday.
A five-member bench led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan and including Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik will hear the pleas against the announcement by the government that those involved in attacks on military installations May 9 would be tried under military laws.
The pleas were filed by former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan, the Supreme Court Bar Association, eminent lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, members of the civil society and others.
The Supreme Court has announced that the hearing of the petitions will be held October 23.
Pakistan saw unprecedented nationwide anti-government protests following the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in a corruption case May 9. Khan, 71, was later released on bail.
Dozens of military installations and government buildings, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched during the riots. Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were set on fire.
After the May 9 violence, the police backed by the military launched a crackdown on the PTI and arrested 10,000 party workers, including women. Over 100 have been handed over to the military for their trial under the Army Act.
The PTI contests that its members were not involved in the attacks, but the government and military reject the claims and say they have “irrefutable evidence” of their involvement.
According to the army, 102 accused have been handed over to the military authorities for trial. The government during the hearing had assured the court that their trial had not started yet.
The last time a six-judge SC bench heard the case was August 3 but a new bench was set up as the previous one was formed by the former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial. The previous bench had postponed further proceedings for an indefinite period.
The case is deemed as an important one as it will settle the issue of trial of civilians by the military courts.
The Supreme Court on Oct 23 will also take four pleas for hearing that seek the holding of general elections within the constitutional timeframe of 90 days from the dissolution of the National Assembly August 9.
The three-member bench that will hear the pleas is led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and includes Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aminuddin Khan.
PTI