- Raja says the military court’s verdict is “unconstitutional.”
- “We want to conduct negotiations for the welfare of Pakistan,” he said.
- Omar Ayub says they reject the verdict given by the military court.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday denounced the conviction of the accused involved in the May 9 riots by military courts, saying the verdicts are “illegal and unconstitutional”. However, in the same breath, the opposition party also expressed its willingness to hold talks with the government.
“The military court’s decisions are unconstitutional. However, despite the verdicts, we are ready to start negotiations,” PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said at a press conference in the presence of other party leaders .
The journalist comes a few hours after military courts sentenced 25 people involved in the May 9, 2023 attacks against public facilities to two to ten years in prison.
“The General Field Martial Court (FGCM) has, in the first phase, promulgated sanctions against 25 accused,” the army’s media wing said. “All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal remedies, as guaranteed by law and the Constitution.”
The protests erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a corruption case. In return, many party activists have been arrested and more than 100 civilians are currently being tried by the army.
However, the party maintains it played no role in incidents involving military installations, including the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ), and has called for a judicial inquiry into last year’s events.
Military trials were initially halted after a Supreme Court ruling; However, the constitutional chamber ordered last week that cases pending due to the earlier order be finalized and judgments in the cases of defendants involved in these violent incidents be announced.
Raja, speaking at the press conference, said the PTI founder had given the party a deadline for negotiations which could also be extended.
“We want to hold negotiations for the welfare of Pakistan,” the party leader said. He added that the government had not yet contacted them for negotiations.
He further said that a plan was afoot to present the Khan case before the military court. “If the PTI founder is presented before the military courts, it will be a very bad day,” he stressed.
He said they have not yet managed to overcome what happened to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, adding that he appeals to powerful circles not to do this, otherwise the world would make fun of the country.
“Stop treating the people of this country like a herd. Don’t try to eliminate us because you won’t succeed,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Latif Khosa termed the verdict illegal and unconstitutional. “How can a military judge hear a case if there is an allegation of an attack on a military installation?” » he questioned.
He added that military courts can take disciplinary measures against their employees but cannot try civilians.
“An attempt was made to remove the judiciary through the 26th amendment,” Khosa said, stressing that the full Supreme Court should rule on the 26th constitutional amendment.
He added that the final verdict of the highest court on this appeal will be very important.
Opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said in a statement that he rejected the verdict handed down by the military court.
“The sentences handed down against the PTI detainees are against the principles of justice because they are civilians who cannot be tried in military courts,” Ayub said.