Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Terming Senate resolution backing the military trials of civilians against the Constitution, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Raza Rabbani on Monday vowed to continue opposing it. Last week, the Upper House of Parliament passed a motion against the Supreme Court’s verdict on civilians’ trial in the military courts, calling for halting implementation of the judgment “unless it is considered by a larger bench”. The resolution backs the military trial of civilians arrested in connection with the May 9 riots.
Two senators namely Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mushtaq Ahmed and PPP’s Rabbani opposed the resolution against the top court’s verdict. Speaking on the floor of the house today, the PPP leader said he voted bill for setting up military courts in the country in 2015. Clarifying his position, Rabbani said he was bound to the party discipline. He was of the view that the vote he had cast in support of the motion was on the PPP’s behalf. “I was ashamed for voting the bill,” he said, adding that he, even today, was ashamed for it. In January 2015, the PPP senator was in tears after voting in the Senate on the 21st Constitutional Amendment for setting up military courts.
Expressing his emotions, Rabbani said had “never felt more ashamed” in his life as he was on that day and admitted that he voted on the amendment against his conscience. The day after the passage of the bill, the lawmakers lodged a strong protest in the house against the hasty approval of the resolution.
