Summary 78 senator voted in favour of the military courts, three remained in disagreement
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Senate on Tuesday has approved bill over extension of military courts for two years to try terrorists in a faster process than judicial courts.
Chairman of Senate, Raza Rabbani presided over a session of the House today that voted over 28th Constitutional Amendment regarding two-year extension of military courts.
78 senators voted in favour of the amendment whereas three lawmakers voted against the establishment of army court for another two years for speedy trials of terrorists. Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party voted against the amendment while senators belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl maintained absence from the session after party’s recommendations were not entertained in previous meetings.
A session of the Senate last week could not vote over the bill owing to lack of quorum.
The bill was tabled today in the Senate after it was approved by the National Assembly two weeks ago in a session that was attended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif.
National Assembly approves amendment to extend army courts tenure
After today’s approval by the Senate, the bill is now to be forwarded to the President House for Mamnoon Hussain’s approval.
Once the President approves the amendment, the bill will become an Act of the Parliament making two-year extension of army courts official. The extension, if granted will be recorded starting from January 7, 2017.
Government of Pakistan and the military leadership agreed after a deadly terror attack on a Peshawar school in December 2014 to try terrorists through army courts for early verdicts.
However, the tenure granted by the constitutional amendment then expired late 2016 after which PM Nawaz-led government moved to extend the tenure.
