ISLAMABAD: Opposition parliamentary parties have opposed extension of the tenure of military courts and sought a briefing from the government about achievements of military courts and implementation of the National Action Plan. The opposition claimed that the government has been isolated in the case of military courts as its allies were also not supporting it.
A meeting of parliamentary parties was held in Islamabad Tuesday under the chairmanship of Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, the parliamentary leaders said that the government told them that it was interested to extend the tenure of military courts for two more years and a bill should be prepared with consensus. They said the government could not satisfy them over the functioning of military courts and implementation of National Action Plan.
The meeting was adjourned till January 17th without achieving any consensus. The opposition parties briefed the law minister about their reservations.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and the participants listened to point of view of others with patience.
Syed Khursheed Shah said the opposition unanimously demanded that the government should honour its promises made at the All Parties Conference. He said they were told at that time that the situation was abnormal and they wanted the government to brief them about the present situation including implementation of NAP and elimination of terrorism.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi was of the opinion that the government itself was not clear about its proposal for extension. He said they have put forward five questions to the government to answer about the performance of military courts in two years, implementation of NAP, performance of Anti Terrorism courts , a briefing on national security and blue print of the plan to move ahead for the elimination of terrorism.
He said the government had promised for the reconstitution of national security committee and it must honour that commitment. He said the law minister admitted that maximum punishments to terrorists were given in Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa.
To a question, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said their opposition would not affect the operation Zarb e Azb.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said the government was using the military as a crutch.
“Operation Zarb-i-Azb was successful but how long will the government use the military as a crutch?” he asked.
Qureshi told the media that during the meeting all parties representatives had agreed to consult with their party leaders on the governments stance.
Qureshi added that the government had not succeeded in convincing its allies, Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), to support the revival of the courts.
“Even the first time, support was offered on a conditional basis,” he said.
Qureshi told the press that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government does not support the reinstatement of the military courts.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahabzada Tariq Ullah said they opposed constitutional amendments for formation of military courts in the past and there is no change in their position.
The meeting which lasted for about one and a half hours was attended by Federal Ministers Zhaid Hamid and Akram Durrani, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Sahabzada Tariqullah, Dr Farooq Sattar, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Shireen Mazari, Naveed Qamar and tribal leader Shah Ji Gul Afridi.
Earlier Chairing a consultative meeting of opposition parties regarding the revival of military courts, opposition leader Khursheed Shah said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will oppose the reinstatement of military courts.
Also in attendance at the meeting were Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly Shireen Mazari, PPP’s Naveed Qamar, and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Tariqullah.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the PTI would first listen to the government’s point of view on the subject and then present its own.
