Military courts bill lands in NA amid opposition

JUI-F, MQM, PPP show reservations; Ayaz Sadiq says there is need to discuss bill again in parliamentary committee

ISLAMABAD: The government introduced the Constitution (Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill 2017 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act Bill 2017 envisaging reinstatement of military courts amid opposition from the JUI-F, MQM and PPP on Friday.

The two bills were introduced a day after observations of the corps commanders conference that the decision to reinstate the military courts rests with the government.Following reservations shown by the JUI-F, PPP and MQM, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq felt that there was a need to sit again at the forum of the parliamentary committee, which was constituted to resolve the issue of military courts. “Some parties still have reservations on the draft of the bill introduced today and there is a need to sit again to address the same,” the speaker said.

Prior to the introduction of two bills, the government faced lack of quorum in the House, resulting in suspension of proceedings for over 20 minutes. The quorum was pointed out by PPP’s Shagufta Jumani following a walkout by her party colleagues and PTI members against the remarks of the PML-N parliamentarian Mian Javed Latif inside and outside the House on Thursday.

Speaking on the bills on resumption of proceedings, the law minister, after introducing the bills, said in 2015, parliament had passed two bills including the Twenty-First (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2015, giving powers to military courts to hear the cases of hardcore criminals. He said positive results were received through these steps.

The minister said the country was still going through extraordinary circumstances and facing many challenges. “Therefore, it is necessary that these measures should continue,” he said. He pointed out that under these bills, the steps taken in 2015 would get an extension saying the government wanted to pass these legislations with consensus.

The two bills introduced on Friday provide for an extension of special measures taken in 2015 for another two years starting from January 07, 2017.JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed reservations on the bills and said his party could not support the legislation in the present form. He said that terrorism should not be linked with religion or any sect as terrorists have no religion, tribe or nationality adding the state has the right to eliminate those who pick up arms against the state. He said those who raised armed groups in the past should also be taken to task.

He said that no steps were taken to strengthen the civil courts and administration during the last two years due to which the need was felt to extend the military courts.Dr Azhra Fazal Pechuho of the PPP opposed the bills and said the legislations were discriminatory and provide a tool for political persecution. She said the PPP had floated some changes in the bills and also wanted the military courts should not be extended beyond one year.

Shaikh Salahuddin of the MQM also expressed reservations on the bills saying the government should have taken measures to provide security to civil courts and administration, asking for how long the military courts would continue to get extensions.

The MQM member suggested the military courts should be extended for the tenure of the incumbent government and courts’ further fate should be left at the discretion of the next government. He observed the prime minister should have chaired the parliamentary committee’s meetings.

The House passed “The Post Office (Amendment) Bill, 2016”. Moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmad, the bill provides for further amending the Post Office Act, 1898.The bill seeks to achieve the object to provide for issuance of postal orders having their value more than Rs50 for the use and benefit of general public.