Pakistan government urges top court to dismiss pleas challenging military trial of May 9 rioters

Islamabad [Pakistan]: Pakistan’s federal government has urged the Supreme Court of the country to dismiss petitions contesting the military trial of suspects involved in the May 9 riots dubbing the attacks against military and defence institutions as a “direct attack against the national security,” Geo News reported.

The administration declared that anyone responsible for the mayhem on May 9—during which numerous government structures and military institutions were vandalized—would be tried in military courts.

Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jawwad S. Khawaja, a legal expert named Aitzaz Ahsan, five members of civil society, including Karamat Ali, the executive director of Piler, filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking it to declare the military trials unlawful, Geo News reported.

A nine-member apex panel was first established initially to hear complaints over the prosecution of civilians in military courts.

But the chief justice-designate Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood declined to join the larger bench that was deliberating on appeals from the military court, according to Geo News.

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan objected to Justice Mansoor Ali Shah being on the bench at the third hearing of the case on behalf of the federal government. The senior judge of the supreme court withdrew from the case as a result.

The seven-member judge’s bench dispersed once more, and the proceedings continued.
The apex court’s larger bench will resume hearing the petitions on tomorrow (July 18).

Apparently, May 9 riots took place after the National Accountability Bureau arrested the PTI chief in the Al-Qadir Trust case.