Opposition parties seek government briefing over performance of military courts

ISLAMABAD (AP TV): A parliamentary committee meeting over military courts led by the National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq ended without any consensus.

All opposition parties demanded that the government brief them over performance of the military courts. 

Speaking to Geo News, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah said the next session will held on January 17.

"The government will brief us over the performance of military courts," he added.

Sources told Geo News, that during the meeting the Pakistan People's Party opposed the extension of military courts.

Prior to the meeting earlier today, Khursheed Shah along with Naveed Qamar, met PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi where they discussed their stance over the issue of military courts.

On January 6, this year military courts expired. After hearing 274 cases and awarding 161 death sentences in a two-year-long term, special military courts set up to try terrorism suspects in Pakistan have ceased to function, the ISPR announced on Sunday.

A total of 12 convicted terrorists have been executed since January 2015, when the courts were established through a constitutional amendment allowing them to try civilians on terrorism charges.

The constitutional amendment came in response to an attack by Taliban terrorists on the Army Public School in Peshawar that killed 134 children. The amendment included an expiry clause to keep the measure temporary.

The federal government has said it is in consultations for a constitutional amendment to continue with the military courts for a period agreed by all political parties in Parliament.

(Published by: GEo TV)