Army Chief Grants Remission to 20 Convicts

At least 20 convicts, who were sentenced by military courts for violence related to former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest last year, have been released from military custody. This remission was granted by Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir. The convicts were involved in violent protests in Pakistan on May 9, 2023, triggered by Khan’s brief arrest in a graft case. The protests led to attacks on government and military installations across the country.

The Pakistani government shared details of the released individuals with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which has been reviewing appeals against military trials of civilians. Notable figures like ex-PM Khan, former chief justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, and activist Karamat Ali had filed petitions against these trials, deeming them illegal and unconstitutional.

Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a member of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, welcomed the release of the 20 individuals and emphasized the need for all detainees in military custody to be freed immediately. He stressed that civilians should be tried in civil courts, not military ones.

The convicts, hailing from various cities including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Dir, and Mardan, had been in custody for up to 10-and-a-half months. In December last year, the Supreme Court had allowed military courts to resume trials of civilians under certain conditions, leading to the recent remission granted by the army chief to the 20 convicts.

Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of others still in military custody, as legal teams continue to advocate for the rights of these individuals. The situation highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the legality and constitutionality of trying civilians in military courts in Pakistan.