ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) less parliamentary parties meeting have decided to extend military court’s tenure for two-year and to make amendments in Pakistan Army Act.
The parties unanimously said in the statement that ‘terrorist’ is a ‘terrorist’; he has nothing to do with Islam. They have no religion and no country.
Talking to media after the meeting, the parliamentary leaders said you have to make such decisions in exceptional circumstances. This decision is made keeping the national interest, they added.
The decision was made on Tuesday in a meeting of parliamentary parties headed by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. However, largest opposition party PPP hasn’t attended the meeting.
Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar said the process would require amendments in the Constitution and the relevant law and therefore, sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate are being convened.
The Senate would meet on Friday and the National Assembly Monday next, he told reporters.
He said the decision has been taken with consensus. He hoped that the PPP, which has convened a meeting of political parties on Saturday, would also take a decision as per requirements of the country.
The Minister thanked all political parties for extending their cooperation on the issue of revival of military courts.
PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said all political parties including PPP are convinced that the country is passing through extraordinary circumstances and military courts are need of the hour.
He said there was no disagreement on revival of military courts in view of the given situation but parties only wanted a mechanism to ensure that there is no need for further extension in future.
Qureshi said a decision has been taken to constitute a Parliamentary Oversight Committee which would see to it that the Government sticks to the timelines envisaged in the amendment. The Committee would meet once every two months.
Sahibzada Tariqullah of Jamat-e-Islami said terrorists are terrorists and terrorism should not be linked with the religion. He said terrorists should be dealt with iron hand.
It is pertinent to mention here that, the military courts tenure expired back in January. The political parties had their differences in extension of courts tenure.
