ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Friday formed two separate benches to hear pleas related to delay in general elections and civilians’ trials in military courts.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Amin ud Din Khan will hear pleas against delay in general elections on October 23.
Meanwhile, the CJP has formed six-member bench to hear pleas challenging the trial of civilians in military courts. The bench includes Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ayesha Malik.
The bench will take up military trials pleas on October 23. The last time a six-judge SC bench had taken up challenges to the trial of civilians in military courts was on Aug 3. The Supreme Court rejected plea seeking the formation of a full court bench to hear a set of pleas challenging the trials of civilians in military courts.
During the hearing, the then CJP Bandial said the bench had discussed the plea and the formation of a full court was not available until September due to summer vacations. Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan had presented a list comprising the names of 102 suspects in the military’s custody before the court.
According to the list, seven people were under custody for breaking General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, four suspects attacked the army institute, 28 suspects attacked the Lahore corps commander’s residence, 15 people were involved in attacks on army garrisons in Multan and Gujranwala, eight suspects attacked an ISI office in Faisalabad while five were involved in the attack on the PAF Air Base in Mianwali.
Following the arrests made in connection with the violent riots that erupted across the country on May 9, the PDM government announced its decision to hold military court trials of those found guilty of damaging and attacking military instalments – a move both the government and the army considered a low blow.