The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is considering extending the tenure of the military courts, which is set to end on January 6, 2019, however, given the current political scenario, the extension would remain a challenge for the incumbent set-up, according to a report in the local media.
According to the report, an unidentified government official ‘confirmed’ the government’s intention to extend the tenure. However, the official did not reveal “how the government planned to pass a constitutional amendment without a two-thirds majority in the Parliament”.
Furthermore, a PTI federal minister, whose name was not mentioned in the report, told the media outlet that he had recommended the government to “amend existing anti-terrorism laws instead of extending the tenure”. On the contrary, a senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader maintained that “the party shall evolve its strategy once the bill has been tabled”.
The military courts were established through a constitutional amendment to try civilians charged with terrorism in January 2015 following the Army Public School attack in December 2014.