ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the 28th Constitutional Amendment Bill with two-third majority for revival of the Military Courts for another two years.
The Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid presented the bill which received 255 votes in favour while four lawmakers opposed it.
The government ally Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) lawmakers abstained from voting while Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai opposed the bill.
Under the bill, the tenure of the Military Courts will be extended for next two years effective from January 7, 2017.
The bill states that the arrested terrorists will be presented for remand within 24 hours and the charge sheet will also be submitted; the accused will have right to hire private counsel; and the law of evidence will also be applicable.
Now the bill will be presented in the Senate on Wednesday and after passage from the Upper House of the Parliament it will be sent to President Mamnoon Hussain for assent.
While speaking on the floor of the Lower House, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour of ANP supported the bill and said that elimination of terrorist mindset was imperative for eradication of terrorism from the Country.
The Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z) Ijaz-ul-Haq also supported the bill and said that revival of the Military Courts was need of the Country and not that of the security forces.
Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) lawmaker Dr Nafisa Shah said that Military Courts were working in a number of the democratic Countries in the world. She said that we would vote in support of the bill because extraordinary measures were needed to address the menace of terrorism.
Earlier, the House also passed “The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2017” with amendments.
