Pak presents amendment bills to set up military courts

Pakistan today tabled two major bills in the National Assembly to amend the country's Constitution for creation of special military courts for speedy trial of terrorists in the aftermath of the deadly Peshawar school attack.
The bills were presented to the parliament after political parties and army agreed in a marathon meeting yesterday on the mode of setting up the courts.
The 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill and Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015 were presented in the National Assembly by Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Pervaiz Rashid.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was also in the house when the bills were presented.

However, no debate took place as the house was adjourned until Monday afternoon when it will reconvene to debate and adopt the amendment.
The bills have to be passed by at least two-third majority in both the 342-seat National Assembly and the 104-seat Senate before they go to the president and become part of the constitution.

The amendment will provide constitutional cover to the establishment of military courts in the country.
The law aims to give a tough message to militants who often wriggled out of ordinary courts.
It is being enacted as part of several measures to eliminate militancy. Pakistan has already lifted moratorium on death penalty and hanged seven convicted militants.

Pakistan is struggling to come up with an adequate response to deal with militancy after the brutal Peshawar school massacre last month by the Taliban that killed 150 people including 134 children.