ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed his team to get the constitutional amendment for the setting up of military courts within the next few days.
Official sources here say the government’s legal team has been asked to finalise the draft constitutional amendment in consultation with all concerned by Tuesday.
Following the finalisation of the draft amendment, the government will convene sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate in the same week to amend the Constitution for materialisation of what has already been decided by the political and military leadership recently.
The sources said that in line with the constitutional amendment, the government will also amend the Army Act for the formation of military courts to try terrorism accused. The constitutional amendment will clearly indicate that these special courts will cease to exist after two years of their formation.
Basic homework has been completed by the government’s legal team, which will now meet the expert committee of political parties to finalise the draft amendment to the Constitution. On Tuesday, the sources say, the government team will hold a meeting with the military experts on the same subject in order to get through the amendment without delay.
The sources said that although the implementation of the 20-point counter-terrorism National Action Plan, finalised by the civil-military leadership just recently, will require a lot of legislation, but the constitution of the military courts as soon as possible is the top-most priority.
In order to activate the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), Interior Minister Nisar Ali will chair the meeting of the authority’s executive committee the same week. Following this, Sharif will chair the first ever meeting of the Nacta board of governors.
The Nacta board includes the prime minister as its chairman, the provincial chief ministers, the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, prime minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, interior minister, law minister, defence minister, finance minister, the chiefs of Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Military Intelligence and Federal Investigation Agency, chief secretaries, secretaries interior and inspector generals of police of all the provinces and other territories.
The board will have the key role in implementing the National Internal Security Policy, which promises capacity building of criminal justice system, police, civil armed forces and other law enforcing agencies for border management besides setting up of a key institution to be called the Directorate of Internal Security, which will be established under Nacta to coordinate intelligence and operational work of all the civilian and military agencies.
Internews
