RAWALPINDI, January 18: Pakistan Army spokesperson has said that it is up to parliament to decide if an extension should be granted to military courts.
The tenure of military courts, which were established after the 2014 Peshawar attack, is set to expire in March.
“The decision on military courts’ extension rests with parliament,” Inter-Services Public Relations spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor told Dunya News on Friday night.
He said lawmakers can decide on the fate of military courts “keeping
in view the current [security] situation, and their impact”.
“We will do what parliament tells us,” he said, adding that even previous extensions to military courts were given by the public representatives, and the decision has to be taken with consensus.
Earlier this month, the law ministry informed that the summary for a second extension to military courts was forwarded to the Cabinet for approval.
Opposition parties have opposed the move, arguing that the law and order in the country is satisfactory and there is no need to further extend the courts.-Agencies
