Supreme Court reserves judgement against military trials of civilians

ISLAMABAD: The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, reserved the decision in the intra-court appeal against the decision that prohibited civilians from being tried in military courts on Monday.

A brief ruling is anticipated to be released this week following the conclusion of the appeal hearing. According to Justice Aminuddin Khan, who is leading the seven-member bench.

The seven-judge bench had heard 38 intra-court appeals (ICAs) against the Supreme Court’s Oct. 23, 2023, ruling that had been filed by the federal and provincial governments, the Shuhada Forum Balochistan, and others.

The constitutional bench of the highest court last year gave military courts provisional authorization to render decisions in cases involving 85 people who are suspected of being part in the May 9, 2023, disturbances.

The constitutional bench had said in its ruling that military court rulings would be contingent upon the ruling of the highest court in the cases that were still pending.

Following that, military tribunals sentenced 85 PTI members to two to ten years of “rigorous imprisonment” for their role in the May 9, 2023, demonstrations, bringing the proceedings of those held in military custody over the attacks on army posts and monuments to a close.

The military accepted mercy petitions from 19 of the 67 convicts condemned in the May 9 riots case on “humanitarian grounds” later in January, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel on October 23, 2023, pronounced civilian proceedings in military tribunals null and invalid after hearing petitions contesting the conviction of civilians implicated in the May 9 riots.