ISLAMABAD, March 5 (Alliance News): Supreme Court Justice Jamal Mandokhail on Tuesday emphasized that punishment must be served regardless of where a trial takes place, as a seven-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, continued hearing intra-court appeals regarding military trials of civilians.
During the hearing, civil society lawyer Faisal Siddiqui stated that 105 suspects had been tried in military courts, with 20 released.
However, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan clarified that an additional 19 had also been freed, bringing the total to 39, while 66 suspects remained incarcerated.
Justice Mandokhail reiterated the importance of justice, regardless of the judicial forum, while Siddiqui argued that independent and military trials differed significantly.
Following his arguments, lawyer Abid Zuberi, representing former Supreme Court Bar Association office-bearers, is set to present his case next. The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.
On October 23, 2023, a five-member Supreme Court bench declared military trials of civilians null and void.
However, a six-member bench later suspended the ruling on December 13, 2023, allowing military courts to pronounce reserved verdicts for 85 individuals still in custody over the May 9 riots. Subsequently, 85 PTI activists were sentenced to two to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
In January, the military accepted mercy pleas for 19 of the 67 convicted individuals on humanitarian grounds, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
