ISLAMABAD: After the European Union, both London and Washington have also called into question the recent sentencing of civilians by military courts in Pakistan, saying that it “lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial.”

Meanwhile, the PTI, whose activists were among the men sentenced by military courts last week, backed the international community’s apprehensions, calling them “well-founded and justified” and expressing the fear that the move could further isolate Pakistan on the global stage.

Last week, a military court had sentenced 25 PTI activists to imprisonment ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in the May 9, 2023 riots, which broke out following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.

A day earlier, an EU spokesperson described the verdicts handed down by military courts as “being inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)”.

The EU spokesperson recalled that under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries, including Pakistan, have voluntarily agreed to implement effectively 27 international core conventions, including the ICCPR, in order to continue benefitting from GSP+ status.

PTI spox calls international community’s concerns ‘valid’, laments govt not concerned with protecting country’s interests

The EU is Pakistan’s second-largest trading partner, with the GSP+ arrangement contributing significantly to the growth of bilateral trade with Europe.

On Monday, a brief statement from UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) echoed the same sentiment.

“While the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial. We call on the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the [ICCPR],” the FCDO statement said.

Hours later, the US State Department weighed in on the matter, saying it was “deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians have been sentenced by a military tribunal for their involvement in protests on May 9, 2023. These military courts lack judicial independence, transparency, and due process guarantees.”

“The United States continues to call on Pakistani authorities to respect the right to a fair trial and due process, as enshrined in Pakistan’s constitution,” the statement said.

There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan’s Foreign Office to either of the statements from Western capitals.

PTI’s reaction

In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said that the EU’s concerns about the military courts’ decisions were valid, adding that Pakistan’s compliance with the ICCPR, which guaranteed due process and fair trials, was integral to its continued participation in the GSP+ scheme.

He lamented that in these cases, civilians were deprived of all fundamental legal and constitutional rights and the military courts gave unilateral decisions.

He emphasised that Pakistan’s economic prosperity was inextricably linked to political stability, but regretted that those in power were not bothered about the state’s interests.

Separately, in an open letter from prison, incarcerated PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid termed the military court verdicts a final blow to human rights, adding that the decision was “supported by the 26th amendment constitutional bench”.

In a handwritten letter from Kot Lakhpat Jail, Dr Rashid said the façade of democracy had been shattered. “How long will Pakistan bear these atrocities?” she questioned.

Dr Rashid lamented that justice had become non-existent since February 8, 2024. She said she and her party colleagues had been imprisoned for 20 months without conviction, as there was no evidence against them.

Kashif Abbasi in Islamabad and Mansoor Malik in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024