Pakistani senate approves revival of military courts

The Pakistani senate on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment to revive military courts for trials of terrorism-related cases.

The two-year term of the military courts expired in January and both the treasury and opposition benches joined hands to pass a constitutional amendment for a two-year extension.

During the voting, 78 members in the 104-member house supported the bill while only three senators from the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party opposed the amendment. The Islamic party Jamiat ulema-e-islam (JUI-F) did not attend the session.

The National Assembly, or the lower house of the parliament, already approved the amendment last week. The law will be a part of the constitution with the president's signature.

The military courts were established for the speedy trial of the terrorists after the deadliest attack on an army public school in Peshawar in December 2014. Nearly 150 people, mostly students, were killed in the Taliban claimed attack.

The army said this month that the military courts have so far awarded death sentence to a total of 161 terrorists and 21 of them have been executed.

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that extension in the military courts is a need of the hour to eradicate terrorism from the country.

"We should not be apologetic on extending the term of military courts for another two years as it is a right decision," the minister said, adding terrorists have no religion, sect, ethnicity or country and they always pursue an agenda of destruction.

Leader of an opposition party Aitzaz Ahsan said that his Pakistan Peoples Party supported the move as the party supports the move to root out terrorism. Endit