News
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
No plan for trial of terror suspects in military courts, Malik tells SC
* Interior minister claims only 55 people are missing
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, on Monday, while reacting to a statement of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president, informed the apex court that there wasn’t any plan to try those terrorists apprehended by law enforcement agencies in military courts.
A three-judge bench, comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, was hearing the missing persons’ case.
During Monday’s hearing, SCBA President Asma Jahangir appeared before the court on behalf of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and stated that according to her information, a plan to amend the Anti-Terrorist Act to try terrorists in military courts was being considered. She asserted that such a recommendation had been given by three retired judges.
Upon this, Justice Javed Iqbal said that the apex court did not interfere in the government’s affairs. He said that the courts had never encouraged mischief mongers, regretting that “criminals were released because police in most of the cases failed to provide evidence”. He asked the interior minister not to take the directions of the apex court lightly.
At the outset of the proceedings, Rehman Malik told the court that Balochistan was a victim of international terrorism. He maintained that first miscreants killed people in Punjab, Hazarwal, Sindh and now they wanted to create a law and order situation in Balochistan.
“I spoke to Afghan President Hamid Karzai not less then five times and got positive results regarding release of Pakistani prisoners in Afghan jails,” Malik said. Justice Javed noted that according to the constitution, people of Balochistan were not given due service quota in the army. He also observed that policies for Balochistan were framed without taking Baloch people into confidence. He urged the minister to talk not only to bureaucracy and cabinet but also with all the relevant persons to address the issues of Baloch people.
On the court’s advice, Malik assured that Baloch leaders would be contacted for a reconciliation and angry Balochs would also be given relief. He said the federal government had already taken political, diplomatic, administrative and operational steps for the development of Balochistan, and the launching of Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan programme was also in line with the government’s efforts for uplift of the province.
“Your presentation was good. But, the apex court and families of the missing people could not get the fruit of these efforts. The government even did not solve any single chronic case,” Justice Javed said to the minister.
Malik claimed that actually only 55 people had been missing and that the figure of 6,000 was incorrect. “Only 15 cases are chronic and investigation about five people is in final stage,” Malik added.
The court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk