Supreme Court Upholds Judicial Authority, Rejects Military Courts’ Role in Civilian Cases

The Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed the federal government’s request to permit military courts to announce verdicts in civilian cases, asserting that such a move would undermine judicial authority.

The seven-member constitutional bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, emphasized that recognizing military courts for civilian trials would conflict with the judiciary’s mandate. Justice Musarrat Hilali noted that allowing military courts to announce verdicts would amount to conceding their authority over civilian matters.

The court also rejected a petition by former Chief Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja regarding the 26th Constitutional Amendment and imposed a fine of Rs20,000 for delaying tactics. Justice Mandokhail criticized the petitioner’s counsel for wasting the court’s time.

The case also involved arguments from PTI leaders Salman Akram Raja and Hafeezullah Niazi, with the latter facing court reprimands for attempting to delay proceedings. The Defence Ministry’s counsel stated that trials had concluded in military courts, but the SC declined permission for the verdicts to be announced.