Pak SC upholds establishment of military courts

In a landmark majority judgement, the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the establishment of military courts in Pakistan.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk and Mr.Justice Dost Muhammad Khan announced the verdict.

According to the Dawn, the apex court dismissed the petitions challenging the 21st amendment in an 11-6 vote of the 17-member Supreme Court bench.

In a 14-3 majority vote, petitions challenging the 18th amendment were also dismissed by the bench.

The Parliament passed the 21st Amendment and the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, to establish the special courts after the massacre in the Army Public School in Peshawar last year.

On April 16, the apex court had suspended executions of six militants who were awarded death sentence by these military courts.

The stay order was issued on an application filed by rights activist Asma Jehangir on behalf of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) after army chief General Raheel Sharif had ratified the death sentence to six militants and life imprisonment to one by the military courts.