IHC seeks federal govt clarification on Imran’s possible military trial

`ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought a clarification from the federal government over the prospects of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s military trial over his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots which witnessed military installations being vandalised following his arrest in a graft case last year.

“The PTI founder is a civilian [and ] the military trial of a civilian is a matter of concern for the petitioner as well as the court,” IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb said while hearing Khan’s plea filed under Article 199 of the Constitution on September 3 amid speculations hinting at his trial in a military court.

Expressing his views during the hearing, Justice Aurangzeb remarked the petitioner has referred to a statement issued by the director general Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) and said that if it is such, then the federation should present its clear stance on the matter.

“Today if we [court] say that there’s nothing [on the matter] and [then] tomorrow you produce an order for a military trial, what would happen then?” the judge said while directing the additional attorney general to take instructions from the federal government and inform the court on Monday.

“Is the PTI founder’s military trial under consideration? If there’s nothing as such then the plea will become ineffective. However, if it is then we [court] will hear the case and decide upon it,” Justice Aurangzeb noted while pointing out that a decision of the SC on civilians’ military trials exists already.

In response to additional AG’s request for a decision on the objections raised on Khan’s pleas, the judge said that he was removing the objections raised by the IHC registrar’s office.

He was referring to the objections that the petition neither mentioned any specific first information report (FIR) nor any documentation or order was attached to the petition and questioned how a petition be filed in a high court while the matter of military trials is sub judice in the Supreme Court. The court then adjourned the case till September 16.