SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Pakistan Supreme Court to suspend the death sentences awarded by military courts to six convicted terrorists on Friday. It is the right and courageous step and ought to have been taken earlier. The SC further ruled that the convicted persons had the right of appeal against their convictions. The SCBA had pleaded for an interim stay of the executions on the ground that if carried out, the death sentences would be irreversible whereas the SC had yet to decide the challenges to the 21st (and some aspects of the 18th) Amendment. The bench accepted the argument of irreversibility and the pending constitutional challenge to the scheme of the 21st Amendment. It may be recalled that on April 2, COAS General Raheel Sharif had ratified these sentences. However, no further information was available about who these persons were, where and when they were picked up, what specifically they were accused and convicted of and where they were tried. Perversely, the Supreme Court itself is now being criticised for belatedly doing its job by supporters of military courts. In the desperation to wreak vengeance on militants for the ghastly atrocity that was Peshawar, the cheerleaders for military courts appear willing to sacrifice the structure and principles of the state itself. There must, at all times, be a basic separation of powers: parliament legislates, judiciary interprets.
If the military is convinced of the militancy connections of these six men, and knows the specific crimes they have committed, why is it so difficult for the same evidence to be produced in a reasonable manner before reasonable individuals? The notion that the judiciary is an incurable ally of militancy is preposterous. By the same token that the military has convinced itself of the guilt of certain individuals, why can it not convince others of the same? The Supreme Court has done the right thing. It is indeed good step. We should not blindly trust the parliamentarians who passed the 21st amendmetn that paved way for military courts. Politicians can be wrong and furthermore due their corrupt practices they are bound to obey the orders of military. It is a good step that at least will ensure the right to appeal to convicted one.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
