News:

Just days after all parliamentary political parties in Pakistan reached a consensus over the establishment of military courts to try terrorists, voices of concern rang out in the Senate over the proposal.

PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani said military courts had different standards of proof, offered fewer protections to the accused and when its relatively abrupt systems are applied to the civilian environment, they could lead to great miscarriages of justice. "The country has already seen this in the case of missing persons," he remarked.

Another politician suggested there should be a definition of terrorists, pointing out that any ambiguous law could lead to people who used arms for celebratory firing at wedding parties being hauled up for terrorism. (Dawn Newspaper 30/12/14)

Comment:

With tensions and emotions still running high in Pakistan after the brutal killings of children and school staff at Army Public School Peshawar on 16th December, the announcement of setting up military courts to try terrorists is one of the many knee jerk responses put forward to deal with terrorism. For those who are questioning this plan, the areas of concern range from constitutional validity, to the misuse of powers, to the fear of politicians finding they could be targeted by the military. Other suggestions have been forwarded to look at the current legal system and why existing Anti Terrorism Courts (ATC) have failed.

Without a doubt, anti terror laws, courts and convictions can be used by the traitors in the government and military to silence anyone who questions the USA-led war on terror; whether these are politicians, army leaders, journalists or sincere dawah carriers who have no link to material struggle (fighting) but just speak out and question the status quo. The CIA torture report released December 9th, just weeks before the Peshawar incident but hardly heard of in the Pakistan media, paints a harrowing picture of how the self styled liberal democratic savior of the world, America and its allies have treated alleged and not proven terrorists in their war on terror.  How can we expect military courts to serve justice when all forms of law and normal judicial conduct (according to their own rules) is set aside in the name of fighting terrorism? Even after the revelations, America continues in her arrogance undeterred!

Whether it was General Musharaf's own admission of handing over people to America for millions of dollars after 9/11, the government issuing visas like cheap flyers to Americans without army security clearances as reported in 2011 or the now setting up of military courts to fight terrorism; all acts reveal the actual terrorism of many innocent citizens by the military and government who are not shy in assisting the biggest terrorist of the world-America!

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Nazia Rehman - Pakistan