Military Courts Trying Civilians Unconstitutional: Omar Ayub Khan – Blatant Violation of Fundamental Human Rights – Asad Qaisar

Islamabad, the December 21st : Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, has strongly rejected the decision of military courts to pass sentences on civilians, particularly the PTI officials and workers in custody of the military.

In a statement issued via social media, Omar Ayub Khan termed the sentences as a violation of the principles of justice and expressed grave concern over the military courts adjudicating cases involving ordinary citizens.

“The decision to sentence civilians in military courts is fundamentally opposed to the principles of justice and fairness,” Omar Ayub Khan said in his tweet. “Those in custody are common citizens and cannot be tried by military courts,” he added.

He went on to describe military courts that sentence civilians as “kangaroo courts,” emphasizing that such courts do not have the legal authority to function as part of the state’s judicial power. The opposition leader further underscored that the armed forces are an integral part of the state’s Executive machinery, not its judicial apparatus.

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Omar Ayub Khan criticized the establishment of military courts to adjudicate matters involving ordinary citizens, calling it an attack on the independence of the judiciary and a direct violation of constitutional principles.

“Such decisions undermine the fundamental structure of the constitution, which is based on the separation of powers,” Khan emphasized, citing the Supreme Court’s decision in PLD 1999/504 as a reference to support his argument.

The Leader of the Opposition reiterated that the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary are cornerstones of any democratic society, and any efforts to undermine them must be challenged for the sake of upholding justice and constitutional integrity.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly and PTI Senior Leader Asad Qaiser has vehemently condemned the recent verdicts issued by military courts against civilians, terming them a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and the principles of justice.

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In a strongly worded statement, Qaiser highlighted that the trials conducted by military courts failed to meet the requirements of natural justice. “The decisions of military courts are a clear breach of fundamental human rights,” he said. “Justice has not been served in these trials, and we will challenge these decisions on every forum available,” he vowed.

Qaiser also expressed deep disappointment with the Supreme Court’s stance on the matter. “The Supreme Court’s decision has deeply disheartened us. It is unfortunate to see citizens being stripped of their basic constitutional rights,” he remarked.

The PTI leader warned that such actions would only deepen the sense of despair and disenfranchisement among the people. “When judicial institutions are compromised, public confidence erodes, and a wave of hopelessness spreads across the country,” he stated.

Criticizing the state of the judicial system, Asad Qaiser lamented, “At this moment, our judicial system stands paralyzed, which is a tragedy for the country.”

Despite the challenges, the former Speaker reaffirmed PTI’s commitment to pursuing justice. “We will continue our struggle to ensure that justice prevails, and we call on all democratic forces to unite against this miscarriage of justice,” he declared.

Pakistan in the World – December 2024