— Amnesty accuses Sharif of ‘exercising fear’ of military ‘never been held to account for its overreach’
ISLAMABAD: The authorities on Wednesday pressed on with efforts to try civilians involved in recent anti-government protests before military courts despite appeals from a leading international rights group and a local watchdog.
Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued separate statements late Tuesday, saying they were alarmed by the government’s plan to bring supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan who clashed with police and rioted across the country to trial under military rules.
Military trials in Pakistan are usually held behind closed doors, depriving civilians of some of their basic rights, including contracting a lawyer of their choice.
A wave of violence engulfed Islamabad and other urban areas following the dramatic arrest of Khan — now opposition leader — from a courtroom in Islamabad on Tuesday last week.
Angry supporters torched buildings and vehicles and attacked police and military personnel and facilities. The clashes killed 10 people; authorities arrested 4,000. The Supreme Court later ordered Khan’s release and criticised the way he was arrested.
On Wednesday, the high court of Islamabad extended Khan’s bail and protection from arrest until the end of the month.
The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — who succeeded Khan after a contentious no-confidence vote parliament ousted the latter last year — accused the former premier of hiding suspects linked to the attacks on military installations at his residence in Lahore.
Amir Mir, a spokesman for the interim government of Punjab, said Wednesday that Khan has 24 hours to hand over 40 suspects allegedly hiding at his home or face a police raid. He told a news conference that so far 3,400 suspects have been arrested and more raids were underway.
Khan said in a tweet that his supporters, both men and women, detained by authorities are being tortured in police custody and demanded the immediate release of female protesters. He offered no evidence to back those claims.
I strongly condemn the illegal arrests and abduction of our workers and leaders. Our Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Secy General Asad Umar have also been incarcerated for more than a week now.
Also, despite court orders journalist Imran Riaz Khan has not been presented in…— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 17, 2023
The army and government announced on Tuesday they will try “the arsonists” involved in the violent protests under military law.
Amnesty International said it was “alarming to note” that the authorities have stated their “intention to try civilians under military laws, possibly in military courts.”
PAKISTAN: Amnesty International calls upon authorities to reject the proposed rollbacks on the Protection of Transgender Persons Rights Act 2018. https://t.co/k4QwUb1f1W
— Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office (@amnestysasia) May 17, 2023
Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for South Asia, said that trying civilians in military courts is contrary to international law.
The HRCP said civilians arrested should be tried in civil courts and not military ones — reserved for troops suspected of working against the country’s national interests and violating military rules.
Dissanayake accused the government of using military law as “an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent by exercising fear of an institution that has never been held to account for its overreach.”
