Bar bodies urge Pak SC to revisit May 7 judgment on military trials of civilians

Islamabad, Jun 14 (PTI) The Lahore High Court Bar Association and Lahore Bar Association have asked the Supreme Court to revisit and set aside the May 7 judgment on military trials of civilians, a media report said on Saturday.

The two separate petitions filed on Friday are the second set of such challenges following an earlier petition submitted by former chief justice of Pakistan Jawwad S Khawaja, the Dawn newspaper reported. In his petition, the former CJP highlighted that if not overturned, the May 7 verdict will serve as a constant reminder of ceding judicial space to the executive by accepting that it can act as judges to try civilians in criminal cases.

On May 7, a five-judge Cons­ti­tu­tion Bench of the Supreme Court (SC) had restored key provisions of the Pakistan Army Act that allow the trial of civilians in military courts.

The court ruled by a 5-2 majority in favour of overturning its earlier decision from October 23, 2023, in which the earlier five-judge SC bench had held the military trial of civilians as illegal and unconstitutional.

Riots broke out on May 9, 2023, as supporters of jailed former premier Imran Khan had allegedly vandalised public property and attacked defence installations in the country as they protested the arrest of the 72-year-old party founder.

The review petitions urged that the May 7 judgment was passed in contravention of the Constitution and laws of Pakistan.

Last month, a Pakistani court sentenced 11 supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including a lawmaker, for violent protest in the capital on May 9, 2023.

Those convicted included member of the National Assembly Abdul Latif, who was elected from Chitral area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier, in December 2024, military courts had sentenced 85 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during the riots on May 9, 2023.

Khan has been in jail since August 2023 in multiple cases. PTI SH GSP GSP