PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday stayed the execution of former spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s Swat chapter, Muslim Khan, who was awarded death sentence last year by a military court on multiple charges of terrorism.
A PHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Muhammad Ijaz Anwar passed the order on a petition moved by Muslim Khan’s wife, Nida Bibi, challenging the military court verdict.
The bench also ordered the interior ministry and other concerned departments to produce a record of the case in front of the court during the next hearing.
As per details, Muslim Khan’s counsel Advocate Tariq Ali informed the court that execution orders for the former TTP spokesperson were issued by a military court for his “alleged involvement” in attacks on security forces besides abducting Chinese nationals and others. He argued that the military court’s order was later endorsed by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on December 28, 2016, without giving Muslim Khan a hearing opportunity which was his ‘right’.
Advocate Ali also raised questions over the transparency of the case proceedings in a military court. He said the former TTP spokesperson’s family heard about the execution verdict through media. After evaluating the arguments, the PHC bench accepted Muslim Khan’s plea and stayed his execution orders.
Muslim Khan was arrested following the operation in Swat in 2009. He was allegedly involved in the killing of innocent civilians, attacking armed forces and law enforcement agencies, which led to the killing of as many 31 people, including Inspector Sher Ali, and and injuring of 69 others, as per the information released by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
It is because of incompetence of our Judiciary that Military has to do the job. They don’t like it . They should be ashamed.,
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