Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: In a major breakthrough, the federal government has agreed to revisit its decision on military courts, and on the ‘suggestion’ of the military establishment and the Interior Ministry, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will yet again consult all political parties to garner their support for another constitutional amendment for re-establishing military courts for a specific period.

The decision was made in a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House on Monday, which was chaired by Nawaz Sharif and attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar, Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the PM Tariq Fatemi, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (r) Nasser Khan Janjua, secretary to the PM and other senior officials.

The meeting reviewed the internal and regional security situation in detail with a view to further strengthen the gains made through counterterrorism operations, said a spokesman for the PM’s House. The participants of the meeting reiterated Pakistan’s clear-cut policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism to accomplish internal peace as well as to supplement its foreign policy initiatives.

The meeting also stressed the need for continued efforts at all levels to achieve national policy objectives.

The meeting emphasised that military courts had played an extremely important role at a very crucial juncture “of one action against extremism and terrorism and translated the actions under Operation Zarb-e-Azb to meaningful and tangible national gains”. The federal government has already initiated consultations for constitutional amendment to continue the military courts for a period agreed by all political parties represented in parliament. The participants agreed that Pakistan would continue its efforts for attaining internal peace and play its due role for a peaceful region.