Daily Times

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the Peshawar High Court’s order regarding release of 196 military court convicts and issued notices to all the respondents.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin and Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan heard the case against June 17 PHC verdict and sought details from the government over cases against the accused persons.

During the proceedings, Justice Qazi Ameen said that these people received sentences after a trial from the military courts, adding that every case has separate facts and evidence. The judge’s remarks came against the PHC verdict which said that the prisoners were indicted without a fair trial and their confessional statements were recorded under duress.

Wrapping up the hearing, Justice Musheer Alam issued notices to the relevant parties in the case for next Friday.

The PHC, earlier this month, had overturned the convictions of 196 individuals who had been sentenced by military courts, and had ordered their release. The court, in its verdict, had mentioned that these people were accused on the basis of a confessional statement and not provided a chance at fair trial.

In March, the apex court had sought from the Ministry of Defence the complete record on the allegations against the persons convicted by the military court and the details of the evidence supporting the convictions. The PHC had earlier also upheld several cases of military convictions in 2018, where the SC had to intervene as well.

On November 2, 2018, the apex court had restrained the jail authorities to release 70 terror suspects, convicted by military courts, involved in different terrorist activities in the country. A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed had heard appeals of the Defence Ministry against the verdict of PHC.