 Umar Ata Bandial, Justices Ijazul Ahsan){kind=link}
A petition asking for the creation of a complete court to hear petitions against the military trials of civilians was denied by the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday.
Civilians trial in military courts: A six-member bench, including Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Munib Akhtar, Yahya Afridi, Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Ayesha A. Malik, made the decision.
Justice Bandial stated at the hearing today that the bench had discussed the request for a full court. A full court, though, wasn’t accessible until September.
The chief justice stated during the prior hearing, “We consider the application. If the consultation is finished, the opinion will be announced in 15 minutes; otherwise, it will be on August 2.
On Monday, members of the civil society submitted a request asking for the formation of a full court with judges ready and accessible to participate in it for the purpose of deciding constitutional and legal issues.
According to the application, a number of political figures and current ministers of the current government have questioned the legality of the bench in speeches.
The civil society attorney also asserted that even two of the judges who considered the petitions—Justice Yahya Afridi on June 23 and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on June 22—suggested to the chief justice to expand the court to include all members.
During the prior session, the chief justice told the Attorney General for Pakistan that “we will call the concerned person” if he disregarded his words.
Background
Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), former chief justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, senior attorney Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, and other members of civil society submitted petitions under Article 184 (3) of the constitution to the top court, requesting that it rule that the trials of civilians detained in response to the violent protests on May 9 and 10 under the Army Act and Official Secrets Act were unconstitutional.
Following the PTI chief’s arrest on May 9 from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) grounds, PTI supporters flocked to the streets in protest.
The demonstrators also harmed the gates of the military’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, as well as the Corps Commander’s home (Jinnah House) in Lahore.