The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government made a formal request to the Supreme Court on Monday, urging the withdrawal of the former provincial caretaker government’s appeal against the court’s ruling on October 23. The ruling declared military trials of civilians null and void.
Representing the KP cabinet led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the government’s lawyer presented a resolution passed by the provincial cabinet. The resolution aimed to withdraw the intra-court appeal.
However, the apex court indicated that appeals on cabinet resolutions couldn’t be returned. Instead, it directed the KP government’s counsel to file a formal application for withdrawal.
Last November, the KP caretaker government, along with federal and other provincial counterparts, filed intra-court appeals against the top court’s verdict. The verdict, issued by a five-member bench, nullified civilian trials in military courts related to the May 9 riots, sparked by the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on corruption charges.
The court ruled that individuals linked to the events of May 9 and 10 should be tried in criminal courts established under ordinary or special laws.
PTI and others challenged the military trials, citing lack of transparency. The KP government expressed its intention to withdraw the appeal during a hearing presided over by a six-member bench.
During the hearing, objections were raised regarding the bench overseeing the matter. Lawyers representing petitioners argued for the formation of a larger bench to ensure fairness in the decision-making process.
Discussions also touched on the involvement of private lawyers in the case. The court questioned the rationale behind hiring private lawyers when the Attorney General for Pakistan had already filed appeals on behalf of government institutions.
The court ordered the Attorney General to provide details regarding civilians in custody, including the number of acquittals and those awaiting verdicts.
The hearing was adjourned until March 28, Thursday.
