Military courts to try civilians in Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan is all set to issue an ordinance soon which would give sweeping powers to the country’s military courts in trying civilians charged with offences relating to terrorism. The ordinance which will ammend the Army Act will be the second attempt in the country’s history to bring civilians under the jurisdiction of military law. "The new offences that will be covered the Army Act include terrorism, abduction, and use of arms. The amended act would "definitely apply to any such offences committed by tribal militants and other people", attorney general Malik Qayyum said. The proposed amendments to the Army Act would further empower intelligence agencies to make arbitrary detentions of civilians for indefinite periods without framing any charges, the report said.