SC rejects death row appeals against military court convictions

ISLAMABAD:  The Supreme Court on Monday rejected 17 appeals for stay on death row sentences from military courts.

Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali announced the verdict. A five-member bench presided by the CJ had heard the case and reserved its decision on the appeal on June 20.

The 32 death row convicts were involved in the Bannu Jail Break, the Army Public School Attack, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on security personnel and other terrorist activities.

The 182-page verdict by the SC said that military courts were established through the Army Act. It said that the accused were given the right to defend themselves, and the verdict by the military court did not find any irregularities. "This is not a case of insufficient evidence," it read.

The verdict added that the 21st Amendment was passed during out of the ordinary circumstances.

Renowned lawyer Asma Jehangir had challenged the military court judgment in the apex court. The petitioners had pleaded that they had been denied their right to fair trial. They added they were not handed out copies of the judgment announced by the Supreme Court.

One of the petitioners was allegedly taken into custody by Military Intelligence from Kurri Road in 2014. His family was later informed through an unknown telephone call that he had bee awarded death sentence at the Adiala Jail, the appeal stated.