Responding to statements on the recent military court verdicts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO) on Tuesday said the judgments were delivered under a law passed by Parliament and in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan .
In a statement, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “Pakistan is fully committed to fulfilling all its international human rights obligations. »
She said that Pakistan’s legal system is consistent with international human rights law, including the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
“It has remedies for judicial review by higher courts and guarantees the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. »
The spokesperson added that Islamabad believed in constructive and productive dialogue to promote the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
“We remain fully committed to implementing our commitments under the GSP Plus system and key international human rights conventions.”
The FO spokesperson said they would continue to engage with their international partners, including the European Union, to uphold international human rights law, without any discrimination or double standards.
The military court last week convicted 25 people involved in attacks on public facilities during the violent protests of May 9, 2023.
The violent protests erupted after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (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 founded by Khan claimed that it had no role in incidents involving military installations, including the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ), and called for a judicial investigation into the events of the last year.
US, UK, EU express concerns over military trials
Following the verdict, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States expressed concerns about recent convictions of civilians by military courts.
Earlier today, the United States expressed “deep concern” over the sentencing of 25 civilians by a military court in Pakistan, saying military courts lacked judicial independence, transparency and due process. regular.
In a brief statement released today, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington continues to call on Pakistani authorities to “respect” the rights to a fair trial and due process, as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The UK has also urged the Federal Government to meet its obligations under the ICCPR.
“Military courts lack transparency, independent oversight and undermine the right to a fair trial,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement released on Monday.
However, the spokesperson said, the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings.
The EU was the first to react on the issue, expressing concern over the conviction of 25 accused by a military court, saying the verdicts were considered incompatible with Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on civil and political rights.
“In accordance with Article 14 of the ICCPR, everyone has the right to a fair and public hearing before an independent, impartial and competent tribunal, and has the right to adequate and effective legal representation,” reads a statement issued by the European Commission of the EU. External Action Service.
Furthermore, she adds, Article 14 also states that “any judgment rendered in a criminal case shall be made public.”
Under the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries, including Pakistan, have voluntarily agreed to effectively implement 27 core international conventions – including the ICCPR – in order to continue to benefit from GSP+ status , adds the press release.