ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday lauded constitution of a bench by Supreme Court of Pakistan to take up identical petitions against trials of civilians in military courts on October 23.

PTI spokesman Raoof Hasan said that formation of a bench to hear the petitions against trial of civilians in military courts as there was no room for such trials both in a civilized democratic society and the constitution.

However, he regretted that trials of civilians in military courts had begun despite assurance by Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Awan to the apex courts that no civilian would be tried in military courts.

“The trials of civilians in military court despite assurance by the AGP to the top court is a clear deviation from the constitution,” he regretted.

He expressed optimism that the bench set to hear the case would also take notice of the civilians’ trial in military courts, adding there was a need to immediately halt such trials as it was a brazen violation of the constitution.

Meanwhile, Hasan also welcomed the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa’s decision of constituting a bench to take up the much-needed petitions seeking holding of the elections within the constitutionally mandated timeframe of 90 days.

He said the ongoing series of deviations from the constitution and depriving people of their legal rights would have a profound serious negative impact on both the masses and the state.

He continued that the constitution was the fundamental and supreme law of a country, adding it was the constitution which was not only the base of the relationship between the state and the masses but it was a guarantor of Pakistan’s survival, security, and development.

He went on to say that the constitution neither assigned the right of sovereignty to anyone other than the republic nor did it consider the appointment of rulers legitimate through a method other than the elections.

He recalled that the Supreme Court, in its decision of April 4, 2023, had given a very detailed interpretation regarding holding elections within the constitutionally defined time limit of 90 days in a petition by the former speaker Punjab Assembly.

He expressed optimism that the bench led by the chief justice would ensure elections within 90 days as enshrined in the constitution.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023