Showing distrust of judiciary, Maryam backs military courts

Published May 21, 2023
PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz addresses the party’s ulema wing on Saturday. — DawnNewsTV
PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz addresses the party’s ulema wing on Saturday. — DawnNewsTV

LAHORE: A day after former prime minister Imran Khan asserted that PTI workers cannot be tried in military courts, ruling PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz on Saturday fully supported the trial of those involved in the May 9 attacks under the Army Act.

“I fully endorse the trial of the May 9 arsonists in the military courts. Although these cases should go to the civilian courts, but they are facilitating the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders,” she said while addressing the party’s ulema wing here on Saturday.

The PML-N chief organiser said attacking the military installations was a heinous crime and punishment should also be accordingly. “Why are they objecting to military courts.... see the civilian courts are giving bails and stays to the PTI leaders. How come we trust them (civilian courts). These courts’ orders have become a joke,” she lambasted.

She said what the PTI did never happened in the history of the country. “We too had concerns about the role of the establishment but we never acted the way the PTI did,” she said.

She questioned how the Chief Justice of Pakistan could grant bail to PTI chief Imran Khan while he was already on physical remand. “These courts are giving blanket bail to the PTI leadership,” she said.Maryam Nawaz also warned former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa that he would be held accountable soon. “Khosa is hiding these days but he too will face the music soon,” the daughter of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif declared. “All those judges will face the music who are facilitating Imran Khan,” she pledged. The participants started clapping when she said PTI workers attacked military installations.

Maryam Nawaz said she had seen the video in which training was imparted to women in Zaman Park. “Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Niazi’s video hoisting uniform of army officer and PTI leader Yasmin Rashid audio proof of taking protesters to the Jinnah House was proof of the PTI’s plan to attack army installations,” she said and added today Mr Khan was facing reversal of fortunes.

On the other hand, the PTI chief said on Friday the law relating to holding trials of civilians under military control lapsed in 2019 and military installation came under attack -- only the Corps Commander House Lahore was violated.

Mr Khan said the PTI is being pitted against the army under a well-planned conspiracy and results may not be good for the country, the former premier warned.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Anti-women state
25 Nov, 2024

Anti-women state

GLOBALLY, women are tormented by the worst tools of exploitation: rape, sexual abuse, GBV, IPV, and more are among...
IT sector concerns
25 Nov, 2024

IT sector concerns

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambitious plan to increase Pakistan’s IT exports from $3.2bn to $25bn in the ...
Israel’s war crimes
25 Nov, 2024

Israel’s war crimes

WHILE some powerful states are shielding Israel from censure, the court of global opinion is quite clear: there is...
Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...