Islamabad (Web Desk): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to challenge the convictions of its members and supporters handed down by military courts, arguing that such trials represent a clear violation of fundamental legal principles.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has demanded the establishment of an independent judicial commission to thoroughly investigate the events of the May 9 riots and the subsequent crackdown on PTI demonstrators on November 26.
This announcement follows the recent sentencing of 60 additional individuals by a military tribunal, raising the total number of those convicted to 85 for their involvement in the May 9 unrest.
Military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has confirmed the convictions, emphasizing that the trials were conducted fairly, with defendants granted the right to appeal their sentences. Among those sentenced include PTI founder Imran Khan Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, who was handed a 10-year prison sentence.
In response to the court's decision, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stated that PTI would pursue individual appeals and called on the Supreme Court to urgently address the issue of military tribunals trying civilians.
PTI’s stance has been echoed by opposition leader Omar Ayub, who criticized the practice of using military courts to convict civilians.
Ayub stressed that under Pakistan’s Constitution, only civilian courts hold the authority to try civilians, and that the military's role is strictly limited to national defense, not judicial proceedings.
He called for all trials involving civilians to be conducted within the framework of civilian justice.
