AGP's claim regarding civilian trials contrary to DG ISPR's statement SC told

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman's lawyer Uzair Bhandari on Tuesday argued before a larger Supreme Court bench that the military's media wing has confirmed civilians are being tried in military courts. The six-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial was hearing petitions against military courts trying civilians. Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan had last Friday informed the Supreme Court that 102 people were in the army’s custody and none of them were juvenile or women as an apex court bench resumed hearing the petitions against the trial of civilians in military courts in connection with their involvement in the May 9 violence. The AGP reiterated his earlier stance while speaking to journalists informally today ahead of the hearing, saying "No civilians are currently on trial [in military courts]. The civilian trials have begun," he explained. Notably, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told a news conference yesterday that “102 miscreants are being tried in military courts and this process is going on” and the civil courts have transferred the cases to these courts under the law. Read CJ expects temporary halt to military trials According to the spokesperson, "All the planners and facilitators connected with the events of May 9 will be punished according to the Constitution of Pakistan and the law, regardless of their affiliation with any organisation, political party or social status.” It may also be mentioned here that the DG ISPR also confirmed that the Pakistan Army has dismissed its three senior officers, including a lieutenant general, for their failure to prevent rioters on May 9 from ransacking military installations. At the outset of the hearing, PTI lawyer Bhandari said that he would focus his arguments against the military trial of civilians, "I have nothing to do with the issue of trial against the soldiers". "The DG ISPR said yesterday that a trial is ongoing," he stressed, "and this contradicts the AGP's statement." The AGP responded that he still stood by his earlier statement. "So far no civilian has been tried in military courts," he emphasised. Bhandari, however, maintained that "fundamental rights dictate that a judge appointed under Article 175(3) should conduct the trial. A court-martial trial of a civilian does not leave a good impression on the judicial system and no one has been pleased to allow it." Later, the proceedings were adjourned as the court recessed.   More to follow...