Major political parties except Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) on Tuesday reached a consensus on giving a two-year extension to the tenure of military courts to try hardcore terrorists. The consensus was developed at a meeting of the parliamentary parties chaired by Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq and it was also decided that sessions of Senate and National Assembly would be summoned on March 3 (Friday) and March 6 (Monday) respectively to table the draft constitutional amendment for passage in this regard.
However, the PPPP did not attend the meeting as the party has called an all-parties conference (APC) on March 4 on the issue to discuss it with the rest of the political parties. While Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) sought political ownership of the Radd-ul-Fasaad operation, launched by the army on February 22, by summoning an all parties conference to take them into confidence.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that the political partiers were unanimous "on not doing politics on the issue of military courts" and agreed on the proposal to give extension to military courts for the period of two years.
He said the PPPP did not attend the meeting due to its planned APC and hoped that the PPPP would also extend support and take a decision as per requirements of the country.
He said that the process would require amendments to the Constitution and the relevant laws and therefore, sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate are being convened. He also thanked all political parties for extending their co-operation on the issue of revival of military courts.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the decision has been taken due to the current situation, adding all political parties including PPPP are convinced that the country is passing through extraordinary circumstances and military courts are need of the hour. He said there was no disagreement on revival of military courts in view of the given situation but parties only wanted a mechanism to ensure that there is no need for further extension in future. He said that the parties were also convinced that no political point-scoring would be made on national security issues.
Qureshi further said that a decision has also been taken to constitute a "Parliamentary Oversight Committee" which would oversee the implementation from the government's side on certain reforms it had promised two years ago and that the government would stick to the timelines envisaged in the amendment.
He said that the committee would meet once every two months, adding an implementation plan will be formed and signed by all parliamentary leaders to ensure that the government is bound to whatever agreement is finally inked. He said that all the political parties were of the opinion that the establishment of military courts was not a popular decision and there is a need to strengthen the judicial system. He said the countries which are fighting terrorism try the terrorists in their existing legal system.
He said that the government had proposed a three-year extension but the parliamentary parties agreed on giving two-year extension to military courts to be effective from January 7, 2017 so that to give legal cover to the gap after expiry of the earlier mandated period to these courts.
After the expiry of the new two years extension, he said that the remaining cases would be transferred to anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) accordingly. MQM's leader Dr Farooq Sattar said although the party is not against the military courts, yet he demanded that the Prime Minister address his party's reservations. He said that the operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched by the military and the federal government is seen nowhere.
He demanded that an APC be convened to take the political parties into confidence on Radd-ul-Fasaad. "The government needs not to escape but address the reservations of the political parties on the issue of military courts as well as the operation," he said, adding no steps were taken for the success of the military courts or to improve the performance of the anti-terrorism courts.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Parliamentary Leader Sahibzada Tariqullah said, "Terrorists are terrorists and terrorism should not be linked with the religion." Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said that although military courts are against the fundamental rights, yet it is need of the hour to take even stricter measures to eradicate terrorism.
He also condemned the racial profiling of Pashtuns in some provinces, especially in Punjab, adding, "We all are Pakistanis and there should be no division on ethnic and linguistic grounds. We've already lost half of country [Bangladesh], therefore we should refrain from such steps, as we want a strong and united Pakistan." JUI-F representative Naeema Kishwar, Quami Wattan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Sherpao and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid also supported the proposal of a two year extension to the military courts, saying it is need of the hour under the present scenario.
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