On Friday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa joined two separate benches to hear petitions related to delays in general elections and civilians’ trials in military courts.
On October 23, a three-member panel led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprised of Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Amin ud Din Khan would hear petitions against the delays of general elections.
Meanwhile, the CJP has appointed a six-member bench to consider petitions challenging civilians’ trials in military courts. The bench consists of Justices Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Muneeb Akhtar, Aijazul Ahsan, Yahya Afridi, and Ayesha Malik.
On October 23, a group of judges will address pleas related to military trials. This is the first time a six-judge Supreme Court panel is handling challenges to the trials of civilians in military courts since August 3.
Previously, there was a request to create a larger panel of judges to hear these cases, but it was denied. During the discussion, Chief Justice Bandial mentioned that a larger panel couldn’t be formed until September due to summer vacations.
The Attorney General of Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, presented a list of 102 suspects held in military custody. This list includes individuals accused of various incidents, such as attacking the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, assaulting an army institute, attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence, targeting army garrisons in Multan and Gujranwala, attacking an ISI office in Faisalabad, and assaulting the PAF Air Base in Mianwali.
The background to these military trials involves the PDM government’s decision to hold such trials for those involved in violent riots on May 9. This decision was seen as controversial, and some individuals, including Imran Khan, former Chief Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, legal expert Aitzaz Ahsan, and civil society members, requested the Supreme Court to declare these military trials as “unconstitutional.
