KARACHI, 15 February — The federal government has held in abeyance its decision to set up anti-terrorist courts (ATCs) in the country following objections raised in courts about the inclusion of army officers on the bench. An official announcement said a decision about these court will now be taken after President Pervez Musharraf returns home from his foreign tour.
While the Lahore High Court had stayed its implementation, the Sindh High Court formally admitted for hearing of a similar petition from the lawyers community of Karachi yesterday morning. A two-member bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice Syed Ashhad Ali, and Justice Zia Pervez decided to hear the case on Feb. 20.
It issued notice to the government to present its viewpoint, but most probably the petition will be declared infructuous because of the government decision to suspend its order.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party of Benazir Bhutto has welcomed the decision of the Lahore High Court staying the establishment of new ATCs with army officers among their members. In a statement issued in Islamabad yesterday, a PPP spokesman said that what was needed was to strengthen the existing judicial system and follow the constitutional provision of the tracheotomy of powers rather than militarizing the judiciary.
