Govt mulling setting up military courts

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is seriously considering establishing military courts in the country for speedy trial of terrorists, it is learnt.

According to sources, the issue for the establishment of military courts was discussed between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain during a meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday. They said the President and Prime Minister also discussed the issue of mercy appeals in the meeting.

The sources said that in the meeting, the President and the Prime Minister vowed to take every step to curb terrorism in the country and they also agreed to continue death sentence for deterrence and establishment of peace. In this regard, the Prime Minister has already lifted moratorium on the execution of death penalty in terrorism-related cases.

The sources said the President has turned down as many as 55 mercy petitions of which 8 appeals belonged to convicted terrorists. The sources said that these mercy petitions were pending in the presidency since 2012 and the president rejected these mercy petitions by exercising his powers.

The sources said the President today (Thursday) would receive 50 to 60 more summaries regarding mercy appeals of convicts from Prime Minister’s Secretariat. They said the President may reject all mercy petitions.

They said the Interior Ministry on Thursday sent as many as 120 mercy appeals of death row inmates to the Prime Minister that will be forwarded to the President for a final decision.

According to a handout issued by the presidency, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called on President Mamnoon Hussain Thursday at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister briefed the President about the Peshawar tragedy and the contours of an All-Party Conference (APC) held in Peshawar. The Prime Minister apprised the President that at the APC political parties unanimously agreed to completely eliminate the scourge of militancy and extremism from the country. The President welcomed the unanimity agreed upon at APC, adding that this showed the unflinching determination of the Pakistani nation to collectively thwart the nefarious designs of anti-state elements

Both the dignitaries agreed that operation against militants would continue in full swing till the elimination of last terrorist. They also expressed solidarity with the bereaved families of martyred innocent schoolchildren and brave jawans of Pakistan Army and assured them that the whole nation stood by them in this trying time.