by Press Trust of IndiaFormer Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday approached the Supreme Court against trial of civilians involved in the May 9 attack on army installations in military courts, seeking constitutional validity of the government’s decision. termed “clear infringement”. Guaranteeing due process and a fair trial.
According to Geo TV, the petition filed by the party’s Additional General Secretary Umar Ayub Khan has sought the intervention of the apex court under Article 184(3).
The report states that the petition has put forward 22 questions before the apex court, seeking its input on the scope of the law, whether the demand violates Article 17 or not and whether the deployment is a “threat to the system of parliamentary democracy”. ” Is.
The petition also asked the court to examine whether the demand for the armed forces was “mala fide and in excess of jurisdiction” as the federal government had claimed that they could not be deployed due to the security situation during elections .
“Whether the trial of civilians through military courts is a clear violation of constitutional guarantees of due process and a fair trial and a violation of Pakistan’s existing obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the jurisprudence developed by this court?” As per the petition.
The petition also questioned the “Federal Government’s support” to the public meeting organized by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) outside the Supreme Court showing “discriminatory attitude” towards the use of Article 245 and Section 144.
The report also questioned whether labeling the PTI as a “terrorist organisation” was a strategy to not hold elections and “oust” the Imran Khan-led party from the electoral process, the report said.
The National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, passed a resolution on Monday, pledging to prosecute the May 9 rioters involved in attacks on military and state installations under existing laws, including the Army Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The motion moved by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif was accepted by the House after majority of MPs voted in favor.
Imran Khan was arrested on 9 May He was in the Islamabad High Court complex in a corruption case by the paramilitary force Pakistan Rangers, which sparked unrest across the country.
For the first time in Pakistan’s history, protesters stormed the Army Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and set ablaze a corps commander’s house in Lahore.
Police put the death toll in the violent clashes at 10, while Khan’s party claimed 40 of its workers were killed in firing by security personnel.
Last week, top military officials vowed to bring to justice the arsonists who attacked civilian and military installations through trials under the country’s relevant laws, including the strict Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
Cricketer-turned-politician Khan was ousted from power in April last year after he lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia. was part of. , China and Afghanistan.