Omar Ayub and Asad Qaiser Criticize Military Courts’ Role in Civilian Trials
Rawalpindi:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the sentences handed down by military courts to ordinary citizens, declaring them unlawful. PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Asad Qaiser criticized the military courts’ involvement in civilian trials, calling it a violation of fundamental rights.
In a tweet, Omar Ayub emphasized that military courts cannot legally sentence civilians. He said, “The verdicts passed by military courts on PTI’s detained members are against the principles of justice. These individuals are civilians, and military courts cannot try them. Military courts that sentence civilians are essentially kangaroo courts.”
He further stated that military courts cannot be part of the judicial power of the state, as the armed forces are part of the state’s administrative authority. The establishment of such courts, he argued, goes against the freedom of the judiciary and undermines the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
Asad Qaiser, former speaker of the National Assembly, called the military courts’ decisions a violation of basic human rights, noting that the trials failed to meet the demands of justice. He said, “We condemn these decisions and will challenge them at every forum. The Supreme Court’s decision was disappointing.”
Qaiser added that civilians have been deprived of their basic rights, and warned that when courts compromise, it leads to greater disillusionment in the country. He also expressed concern over the complete dysfunction of the judicial system, calling it a tragedy for the nation. “We will continue our struggle for justice,” he concluded.
