Source: http://www.teeth.com.pk/blog/2007/11/09/update-0020-new-ammendment-to-pakistani-army-act/, By ange on Nov 9, 2007:
"According to sources within the Pakistani security forces, amendments have been made to the Army act of 1952 and any civilian can be arrested under the act and tried in military courts while hoarders and profiteers are to be tried in special courts. The revised act also states that attacks on armed forces is now an offense under the new act. "
Sounds like ground work for legitimacy of "Summary Military Courts" (SMC). SMC's were introduced for the first time in Gen. Ayub's martial law and then again in times of Gen Zia's military take over.
In SMC's a military officer presides over the court. State can also be represented by a military officer and the defendent can either hire a lawyer or ask a military officer for assistance. The courts are known for their swift disposal of cases..................any comments???
3 comments:
Syed, could you please tell us more about SMC, would like to figure this out since we heard that the act came into effect this morning.
thanks,
ange
now another ordinanace..
bar council leadership would be appointed by high and supreme court judiciary..
this guy is finished and just count the days soon he would break.
Well I can only say that SMC were enforced during differrent martial law periods, it's a two pronged sword.
One is that they deliever a public service image of armed forces. They summarily try people who sell at higher prices, stockists, those who sell contaminated consumer products i.e. groceries, petrol etc. and throw them in jail all in a day's work.
The other and most fearing part is that people who are wanted by military governments i.e. reporters, human rights workers, and politicians, They are also tried in these courts and put to jails for good.
I know that martial law administration has previously used SMC to ward off troubelent student and labour union activism for extension of their martial law process.
Let's see if SMC's came into being this time, what they will be upto!
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