The Supreme Court of Pakistan has referred the reconstitution of the six-member bench hearing the military courts case to the Practice and Procedure Committee following objections raised against its composition. Petitioners and lawyers expressed concerns about the adequacy of the current bench and called for a larger panel to consider the matter of civilians’ trials in military courts.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has referred the matter regarding the constitution of the bench hearing the military courts case to the three-member Practice and Procedure Committee, which includes the chief justice and the two senior-most judges of the country’s top court. The issue arose after objections were raised by the petitioner’s lawyer, who argued that a larger bench should be constituted in light of a previous note from two judges. The committee will now decide whether to form a larger bench to hear this case, which involves the legality of civilians’ trials in military courts.
Multiple lawyers’ organizations have approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan, urging the formation of a full court to address allegations of interference in judicial matters by intelligence agencies. The petitions request the court to provide guidelines for preventing future incidents and to ensure severe punishment for those responsible for such interference.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has been asked to order the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) – the country’s comprehensive anti-terrorism plan. The petition argues that despite national consensus on the issue, the NAP has not been fully implemented. It requests the court to direct the government to initiate legal, justice, prosecution, and police reforms to establish an efficient criminal justice system. The petition also calls for the nationwide implementation of Police Order 2002. Despite strenuous efforts to curb terrorism, the country has witnessed a significant spike in terrorist attacks, with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa facing the brunt of the attacks.
