The government’s Cold Feet on military courts

The government’s Cold Feet on  military courts

Dr. Jassim Taqui

Following commitment to the Establishment to renew the tenure of the Military Courts, the government adopted delay tactics on the issue. It is also treating with contempt a parliamentary committee, which is established to study the subject and to inform the parliament about the steps it has taken to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) and counterterrorism initiatives.

There is a complete chaos among the ranks of the government on this vital security issue. The government allowed the military courts to cease functioning on January 7, 2017, though they were established two years back to try hardcore terrorists. No explanation was given to this lapse.

When the parliamentary committee met, the representatives of the government in the committee including the heavyweight Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, and Law Minister Zahid Hamid came unprepared and clueless on vital issues. They could not say a word on steps taken on the implementation of NAP, reforms in the criminal justice system, strengthening criminal justice prosecution and reforming seminaries. Thus the committee meeting had to be postponed to 31^st January 2017.

The episode should highlight the malfunctioning of the parliamentary system and the concentration of power and decision-making in the hands of a few in total disregard to the democratic system.

All this suggests that the government is fearing the military court since it is empowered to investigate dirty money laundering and corruption. And it so happens that the Prime Minister and his family members are accused of these two charges by Panama Papers. Additionally, the defense of the prime minister conceded the charges of Panama Papers were true when it demanded from the Supreme Court to grant the prime minister immunity from persecution for lying on matters pertaining to Panama Papers. Ostensibly, all national institutions are illegally used to bail out a corrupt prime minister and his family member; making this case a unique of its kind because there is no precedent whatsoever in the democratic world whereby a sitting corrupt ruler is using all machinery of the state to protect himself and his family members.