Supreme Court declares trial of civilians in military courts null and void

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday has declared trials of civilians in military courts null and void.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court has announced its decision on applications challenging the military trial of civilians involved in the May 9 riots.

In the short verdict, the court ordered that 102 individuals detained under the Army Act should face trial in civilian courts. It additionally dictated that any trial of a civilian in a military court is considered invalid.

The apex court’s bench — headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, and comprising of Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik — heard petitions filed by PTI chief Imran Khan and others on Monday.

The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), Mansoor Usman Awan, completed his arguments and he had focused on jurisdiction of military courts to try civilians under the Army Act.

The day before, the federal government had notified the top court that military trials of civilians had already begun.