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Pak courts say appointment of army officers as judges setback for democracy
Pakistan`s military government has issued a decree to appoint army officers as judges in special anti-terrorism courts but critics have said the move was a violation of the rule of law and undemocratic.
Pakistan's military government has issued a decree to appoint army officers as judges in special anti-terrorism courts but critics have said the move was a violation of the rule of law and undemocratic.
The decree, issued by President Pervez Musharraf, provides for the inclusion of one army officer and two civilians in three-judge courts that will try offences classified as terrorism. ''We are against militarisation of courts,'' said Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for self-exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The decree was issued late on Thursday.
Pakistan's main human rights group called the move ''a new and serious hurdle in the way of restoring meaningful democracy''.
The new regulation will put civilian and military judges together in the same court in Pakistan for the first time in three decades. The military has ruled Pakistan for about half of the country's 54 years in existence.
The new ordinance, the text of which was published, on Friday, amends an anti-terrorism act of 1997 under which one-judge or two-judge civilian courts tried people accused of terrorist offences such as kidnapping for ransom, hijacking and inciting religious or ethnic hatred.
But the amending ordinance says the existing anti-terrorist courts will cease to exist after the establishment of the new courts, which will be made up of two civilian judges and an army officer of a rank not lower than lieutenant-colonel.
The decree comes after official criticism of the existing anti-terrorist courts for being slow in delivering judgments and says the new courts must decide a case within 15 days. Bureau Report
The decree, issued by President Pervez Musharraf, provides for the inclusion of one army officer and two civilians in three-judge courts that will try offences classified as terrorism. ''We are against militarisation of courts,'' said Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for self-exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The decree was issued late on Thursday.
Pakistan's main human rights group called the move ''a new and serious hurdle in the way of restoring meaningful democracy''.
The new regulation will put civilian and military judges together in the same court in Pakistan for the first time in three decades. The military has ruled Pakistan for about half of the country's 54 years in existence.
The new ordinance, the text of which was published, on Friday, amends an anti-terrorism act of 1997 under which one-judge or two-judge civilian courts tried people accused of terrorist offences such as kidnapping for ransom, hijacking and inciting religious or ethnic hatred.
But the amending ordinance says the existing anti-terrorist courts will cease to exist after the establishment of the new courts, which will be made up of two civilian judges and an army officer of a rank not lower than lieutenant-colonel.
The decree comes after official criticism of the existing anti-terrorist courts for being slow in delivering judgments and says the new courts must decide a case within 15 days. Bureau Report