Daily Times

Twenty-nine terrorism-related cases to be sent to the military courts according to a decision made by the federal cabinet in its last meeting according to Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday.

According to media reports, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had sent a letter to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, pointing out that military courts had not received any terrorism-related cases since January.

Ahsan affirmed that the letter was received by the Prime Minister House, adding that the letter had already been answered. He continued that 80 more cases, once they are approved by the cabinet, will be forwarded to be tried in the military courts.

“After this, the interior ministry will not have any more cases pending,” he clarified.

Former premier Nawaz Sharif had agreed to refer cases of violent extremists and terrorists, who are responsible for mass murders of innocent civilians, kids and young soldiers, to special military courts in the National Action Plan (NAP) that was formed in 2015 after the Army Public School (APS) massacre.

A total of 275 cases of terrorism had been assigned to the military courts, set up in January 2015, in the aftermath of the APS attack.

The military courts have conferred an extension of two years when the 28th Amendment Bill was approved by President Mamnoon Hussain in March this year. The military courts began trials in February 2015 and the first convictions were announced two months later.