Permanent status for military courts will be Pak Govt.'s failure on NAP: JUI-F chief

Peshawar [Pakistan], Dec. 30 (ANI): Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that if military courts were given a permanent status, it would tantamount to confessing that the government has failed to achieve the targets of the National Action Plan (NAP) which was set up to crack down on terrorism. The JUI-F chief said his party didn't support such move and wanted the government to strengthen civil courts, reports the Dawn. "The grant of extension to military courts will be a confession on part of the government that it has failed to achieve the goals of the NAP during the last two years," he said. Rehman said not only giving military courts a permanent status would create an impression that the judges of civil courts were not bold but also it would be an insult to the judicial system. The military courts were initially setup for two years following the December 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack that killed 132 children as part of the NAP. The tenure of these courts is to expire on January 7 but according to reports, the Pakistan Interior Ministry has decided to grant permanent status to them. The Interior Ministry has prepared the draft of a new law, integrating the Protection of Pakistan Act and Anti-Terrorism Act, and sought opinion of the Law Ministry on it. The draft will be presented in parliament after final approval from Law Minister Zahid Hamid. Rehman also complained that military courts were set up to try the people associated with different religions, which was totally unfair. He added that seminaries and specific people in society were targeted under the NAP. The JUI-F chief said other factors for terrorism were ignored and that military courts were tasked with conducting trial of the people involved in religious terrorism. Asked if he'd taken up the issue of military courts with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the recent meeting, he said a summary regarding the extension was sent to the interior ministry after his meeting with the premier. He claimed 'innocent people' tried in military courts had been executed. (ANI)