Supreme Court Reviews Appeals of Death-Sentenced Military Court Convicts

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has begun hearings on the appeals filed by individuals convicted by military courts. The Court has instructed the petitioners’ lawyer to review the trial records, addressing concerns about the lack of access to these documents.

The defense attorney had previously reported difficulties in obtaining the trial and appeal records. The government lawyer responded that court-martial records cannot be disclosed under existing laws.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail questioned the feasibility of defending a case without reviewing the records and criticized the practice of not releasing individuals even after acquittal by the High Court. He emphasized that appeals alone should not delay release and announced that all cases from military courts would be consolidated for review.

The hearing has been postponed indefinitely.

The military court had imposed the death penalty on the convicts for assaults on security forces. Both the appellate court and Balochistan High Court upheld the sentences.