ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday reserved its judgment in a case related to the 18th and 21st constitutional amendments.
A 17-member bench headed by the Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk heard the case and reserved the judgment after the Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt concluded his arguments today.
In his arguments before the apex court, the attorney general endorsed the arguments presented by the concerned advocate generals of the provinces.
The attorney general said that the Parliament had the authority to bring constitutional amendments and courts could not interfere in this process. He called on the apex court to dismiss petitions against the 18th and 21st amendments arguing that they were not admissible for hearing.
The 21st constitutional amendment was passed by the Parliament in January this year as part of the national action plan against terrorism adopted in the wake of terror attack that hit the army public school in Peshawar on December 16, 2014.
Under the 21st constitutional amendment, military courts were established across the country for speedy trial of certain offences relating to terrorism were given legal cover.
Later, the 21st constitutional amendment was challenged in the Supreme Court and according to the petitioners, the armed forces had been given a free hand to interfere in the judicial system without having experience and understanding of law.
The petitioners had said that the military courts had been given a status they were not entitled to under the constitution. The petitions had requested the apex court to declare the 21st amendment and establishment of military courts against the constitution which guaranteed fundamental rights of fair trial.
