ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: As the parliamentary leaders meet in Islamabad on Wednesday to finalise a national action plan to counter terrorism, the Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) have supported the establishment of military courts.
In a statement, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan conditionally supported the decision of setting up special courts for trial of terrorists in the country. He demanded that the special courts be set up for a stipulated time period.
The PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Syed also announced the support of his party for the special courts.
Mushahid Hussain said that terrorists would immediately be sentenced with the formation of military courts. He said that even the United States took the same step to gain success against terrorism.
The QWP Chief Aftab Ahmed Sherpao also supported the special courts to deal with terrorism, and said that extraordinary measures will have to be taken in the prevailing unusual circumstances.
The sources said that the military courts will be formed for a specific period and will hear terrorism cases.
The country’s military leadership has asked the federal government to amend the Pakistan army act 1952 to give wide-ranging powers to the army so that the civilians involved in terrorist activities directed against the military or military installations could be court martialed instead of being tried and convicted by regular courts or anti-terrorism courts.
