Pakistan’s Supreme Court Grants Conditional Authority to Military Courts for Civilian Cases
On Friday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court conditionally authorized military courts to issue verdicts in cases involving civilians arrested for their alleged involvement in violence during May 2023, Anadolu Agency reported. Justice Aminuddin, leading the constitutional bench, allowed military courts to announce their reserved judgments, contingent upon the Supreme Court’s final ruling on pending cases.
Approximately 85 individuals have been in military custody since the violent incidents of May 9, which included attacks on military installations following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. The Supreme Court had previously deemed the trial of civilians in military courts “unconstitutional” in October 2023, prompting the government to appeal for the continuation of such trials.
On December 13, the court conditionally suspended its earlier ruling until a final verdict on intra-court appeals. Justice Aminuddin also instructed authorities to release eligible civilians and transfer other suspects from military custody to jail.
In related news, the Pakistani military reported the killing of 43 terrorists in separate operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, with 18 killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 25 in Balochistan since December 9.
