Mian Manzoor Wattoo terms military courts as right step to deal with terrorists

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Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo has said that the setting up of military courts through consensus is a step in the right direction to deal with terrorists, with the full might of the law, who have been killing innocent civilians, children and our brave soldiers.

Pakistan is in a state of war and such extra-ordinary measures are required to deal with the extra-ordinary situation, he said. In a statement issued here on Saturday, he reminded that in the US such special courts were set up after 9/11 to deal with terrorism and terrorists who posed formidable threat to the security of that country. Pakistan is undoubtedly in a state of war and the establishment of such courts is quite common in the developed democracies to deal with the war-like situation, he argued.

He stated that the PPP had to swallow the bitter pill of military courts as a last resort engrossed to exterminate the evil of extremism and terrorism, adding the existing judicial system was not fully geared up for summarily disposal of the terrorism cases. He pointed out that the apprehensions of the some of the quarters were misplaced because the military courts had been established under the watchful eyes of the parliament and therefore were different from the military courts established by the dictators. The functioning of the military courts now will meet the narrative of due process of law because the courts would try only those cases of terrorism as referred by the federal government.

He said that the time limit imposed by the constitutional amendment on the functioning of the military courts should address the fear of those who had been crying hoarse since the parliament passed the amendment in the constitution. Wattoo asked the critics about their solution of dealing such criminals who were neither Muslims, nor Pakistanis or human beings unleashing bloodbath almost daily basis? He said that the working of the military courts would be subject to constant parliamentary scrutiny, the vigil of media and the civil society, reducing the prospects of miscarriage of justice to almost nil.

He observed that if the military courts fail to deliver, the parliament could always review the amendment keeping in view the demands of justice and the security of the people of Pakistan which were the only guiding principles for public policy. He advised the detractors to hold on and see the results of the special legal mechanism before unleashing their decrying against the system. The military courts should be allowed to work as per the sense of the parliament, he advised.