- As differences crop up between govt and opposition over military courts’ formation, Aitzaz Ahsan and Khursheed Shah urge govt to avoid amending constitution for military courts as such step would open ‘some other doors’
Serious differences emerged Thursday between the government and opposition over the formation of military courts to counter terrorism under the National Action Plan (NAP). The opposition believes that there is no need to bring amendments in Article 245(2) of the Constitution and the scope of existing military courts should be widened to deal with the menace.
Talking to journalists outside the Parliament House, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that the constitutional committee set up on the matter of military courts has presented a recommendation that there is no need to amend the constitution for the establishment of such courts. The scope of existing military courts should be widened instead, he suggested.
Moreover, the senator said that the military courts’ authority to hold hearings would have to be curtailed. He said the draft presented by the government had allowed vast expansion in the powers of military courts. Instead, the military courts’ powers should only be provided a limited boost, he added.
Ahsan warned against introducing an amendment in the constitution, saying such a step would open “some other “doors. However, he hoped that a consensus with the government would soon be reached on the issue of military courts.
Furthermore, while initiating a debate on Peshawar school attack in the Lower House of the Parliament, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah warned the government to avoid any kind of amendment in the constitution to establish military courts.
“The government must avoid any amendment in the constitution, rather it should amend the Army Act of 1952 before establishing military courts,” the opposition leader said.
“I would suggest that the government not take any controversial step which creates division among the political leadership of the country because a new door will be opened,” he said.
“The basic structure of the constitution will collapse if the government amends it to establish military courts,” Shah warned.
Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Abdul Rashid Godil said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak admitted in a meeting that the provincial government received a letter regarding the threats of terrorist attacks on schools in Peshawar but failed to take security measures in this regard. He said that after the 18th Amendment, it is the responsibility of the provincial governments to take security measures for protecting the residents of respective provinces.
“It is unfortunate that some political parties supported the Taliban in the past and made them an offer to open their office in the province. However, it’s good that the leadership of such parties have changed their stance,” Godil added.