 |
| Former PM Imran Khan |
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Pakistan's Supreme Court has
ruled that military trials for civilians are unconstitutional which experts are
calling a win for democracy.
Monday's decision comes months
after the government said more than 100 people detained over protests
following the May arrest of former PM Imran Khan would be tried in
military courts.
The decision was widely
criticised by human rights organisations.
These cases will now be
transferred to civilian tribunals.
The ruling may also pave the
way for other civilians convicted in military courts to appeal.
"Today's verdict is
highly significant and it will help strengthen the constitution, law, and the
civilian institutions of the country," said Aitzaz Ahsan, a lawyer for the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who filed the legal challenge to the military
proceedings.
Other legal experts also
hailed the "courageous" verdict.
The decision was
"absolutely correct" and upheld the constitution, Ahsan Bhoon, former
president of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association, told local news outlet
Geo News.
The government's decision to
try Mr Khan's supporters before military courts had sparked fears that the
process would be unfair. Amnesty International alleged that military tribunals
have a history of a lack of transparency, disregard for due process and coerced
confessions.
But some government officials
disagreed with the ruling.
Jan Achakzai, the caretaker
information minister of Balochistan province where the cases were filed, said
on X, that while he respected the decision it was a "disappointing"
one adding that the purpose of the petition was nothing but a show of political
support.
Mr Khan was one of the
petitioners.
Mr Khan, who was ousted last
year in a no-confidence vote, is facing a flurry of cases that he says are
politically motivated. On Monday, he was handed a fresh indictment for leaking
classified documents.
The army plays a prominent
role in Pakistan's politics, sometimes seizing power in military coups and, on
other occasions, pulling levers behind the scenes.
Many analysts believe Mr
Khan's election win in 2018 happened with the help of the military.
But the enormously popular
former cricket hero has fallen out of favour with the military, a powerful
behind-the-scenes player in Pakistan.
In opposition, he has been one
of its most vocal critics, and analysts say the army's popularity has fallen.
His arrest in May sparked
protests across Pakistan - some of them violent and many targeting
installations belonging to the military who demonstrators blamed for his
downfall. Several thousand of his supporters were alleged to have been involved
in the protests and were arrested.
Since then, Mr Khan and the
PTI have faced a crackdown, with many of his senior leadership arrested, before
announcing they were leaving the party.
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