[DAWN] On an assurance by Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif that only "jet black terrorists" who have committed violent crimes will be tried by the proposed special trial courts, reluctant parties like the MQM, ANP and PPP agreed to support the move.Addressing some of the reservations expressed by politicians, Gen Sharif explained that the military had its own legal system with certain checks and balances which guard against misuse of authority by the officers. Moreover, the army chief added, "the proposed military courts will only take the cases approved by the federal government".
Military authorities use the term, jet black terrorists, for hardened criminals.
Sharing with Dawn proceedings of Wednesday's marathon meeting of parliamentary parties, a participant who didn't want to be quoted said that during an initial part of the sitting, the MQM expressed its discomfort over the prospect of military courts. The PPP and ANP, too, opposed the proposal.
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan of PPP argued that such courts had no place in a working constitutional democracy. Moreover, he said, the PPP had always opposed formation of such courts as the arrangement had no place in the constitution.