Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Criticizing those who moved Supreme Court of Pakistan for challenging trial of civilians in military courts in May 9 vandalism, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday said those people have some political motives.
He emphasized that the practice of trying civilians in military courts was not new, with previous instances having occurred and been endorsed by the judiciary. Taking part in the debate in national assembly, the minister said there are precedents of these trials and the judiciary has also endorsed them on various occasions in the past. He recalled that twenty-four or twenty-five civilians were convicted by the military courts in the previous government.
The Minister asked the petitioners not to challenge the country’s dignity and honor for the sake of their political motives. He said our security personnel continue to render sacrifices in the war on terrorism and that they are our benefactors. The memorials of martyrs and the military installations were attacked on the 9th May and the political workers were motivated by their leader to attack the state. He said this crime is not tolerable.
The Defence Minister also stressed that the institutions should refrain from encroaching into each other’s territory. He warned that such a situation only leads to confrontation. He made it clear that the parliament will not let anybody trespass its territory.
Another PML-N leader and Federal Minister Javed Latif also stressed the need for giving exemplary punishment to all those involved in the May 9 vandalism of military installations and memorials of martyrs so that no one could dare to indulge in anti-state activities.
