Yet another petition has been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) against the trial of civilians in military courts in connection with attacks on defence buildings after the arrest of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on May 9, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

Making law secretary, secretary interior, secretary defence, chief secretaries Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan parties to the case, Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, the petitioner, prayed to the court to declare the trial of civilians in courts ‘null and void’.

The petitioner also prayed to the court to declare arrests made by the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the aftermath of May 9 violence ‘unlawful’.

The court was also requested to order that no civilian should be arrested without prior permission by the courts.

The petitioner contended that the trial of any civilian in a military court was against the constitution as well as laws of the land. “And to deprive a suspect of the right to defence amounts to usurpation of basic human rights,” read the petition.  

Thousands of people took to the streets in different parts of the country on May 9 and May 10 to register their protest against Imran’s arrest.

They resorted to vandalism and arson to vent their anger at the military establishment as well as the government whom they held responsible for ordering the arrest of PTI chairman in an ‘insulting’ manner.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori