The Supreme Court’s seven-member constitutional bench, presided over by Justice Aminuddin, is currently considering intra-court appeals against civilian trials in military courts. The court asked why the attack on the Army Public School (APS) did not result in a military court trial, even though it involved the Army Act and a criminal conspiracy.

Justice Aminuddin stated, “We acknowledge the presence of military courts, but we need to assess the ‘patch’ that has been applied within the system.” Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarat Hilali, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Shahid Bilal Hassan, and Jamal Mandokhail were also on the bench.

The session focused on points made by Khawaja Haris, the Ministry of Defense’s attorney, who underlined that military courts are set up under the Army Act for crimes involving the armed services. He made it clear that the topic of debate is the trial of crimes under the Army Act, not civilian trials.

Concerning the intent behind crimes, Justice Mandokhail questioned if military trials would take the defendant’s motivations into account. Regardless of the individual’s intention, Khawaja Haris retorted that a military court would hear instances pertaining to the Army Act.

The 21st Amendment, which permitted military court proceedings, was passed under particular conditions, including the APS attack, the bench pointed out. Even after the horrific attack on an Army school, Justice Mandokhail said military tribunals were impossible without a constitutional amendment, citing the amendment.

In order to bolster his claims on the connection between crime and the Army Act, Khawaja Haris cited other rulings throughout the session. He emphasized that the type of offense determines the trial venue. The bench was eager to learn more about the process’s constitutional ramifications, though, and questioned why some attacks—such as those against military installations—were not subject to military tribunals under the current system.

Justice Mandokhail questioned why, even if the Army Act was in effect at the time of events like the APS assault, constitutional revisions were necessary for terrorism prosecutions to take place in military courts as the session went on. The court has postponed additional considerations until tomorrow, and the case continues to be a critical analysis of civilian justice versus military courts.

Today’s intra-court appeal against civilian military court trials was still pending, and Defense Ministry attorney Khawaja Haris will resume his arguments on Thursday.

The 21st Constitutional Amendment, the tragedy of the Army Public School attack, and the comments made by former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani were all discussed at the hearing before the Supreme Court’s seven-member constitutional bench.

The presence of military courts is recognized, but the “patch on velvet” needs to be reviewed, said Justice Jamal Mandokhel.

After voting in support of the 21st Constitutional Amendment, Raza Rabbani shed tears, which are now part of history, according to Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi.

Khawaja Haris will continue to offer arguments at the intra-court appeal session tomorrow.

In order to counter terrorism, the 21st Amendment was passed after the APS assault. The bench, led by Justice Ameenuddin, cited the particular circumstances of this amendment.

This constitutional amendment allowed terrorists to be tried in military courts. Haris maintained that criminals implicated in events such as the May 9 assaults are subject to military trials.

The 21st Amendment was made for specific conditions, including the APS attack, where military trials became necessary. Haris emphasized that such trials, even without the amendment, could still take place under the military court system.

PTI leaders Shahbaz Gul and Imran Riaz Khan are the targets of a complaint filed by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crimes Wing in Lahore after the agency looked into a social media campaign against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Three individuals have been taken into custody from Muzaffargarh, Faisalabad, and Lahore in relation to two other incidents. Among those detained are Nadeem, Ijaz, and Aamir, according to FIA authorities.

On social media, the suspects are accused of launching an offensive against the Chief Minister and a prominent figure in the United Arab Emirates. The defendant reportedly disseminated phony recordings that were directed at both foreign and domestic dignitaries.

FIA officers have verified that Shahbaz Gul and Imran Riaz, who are also involved in the investigation, are being sought for arrest.

An investigation has been ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif into contentious advertising that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) produced to herald the return of flights to Paris.

During a Senate session on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar revealed the development in response to a call to action issued by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman.

Sen. Rehman took issue with the commercial, which showed a PIA plane close to the Eiffel Tower with the slogan “We’re Coming.” She argued that the ad raised serious security concerns and misrepresented the airline’s intentions, leading to public ridicule.

“Who gave their approval for this advertisement, and why was it allowed to air without careful review?” Rehman, the senator, asked. Concerning the airline’s operational situation, she added that only 19 of its 34 planes are presently in service.

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The Prime Minister had taken notice of the issue; Senator Dar responded, and he requested an independent investigation into the making and approval of the advertisement.

Dar reiterated the government’s intention to privatize PIA and stressed that it will be a transparent process. According to him, 22 aircraft—six Boeings, eleven Airbuses, and five ATRs—are in service, while five Boeings and six Boeings are being repaired.

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister said he was hopeful that PIA flights will resume to the UK by March or April, adding that a UK team would likely travel to Pakistan by the end of January to do a physical evaluation.

Dar recalled comments made by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who asserted that PIA pilots possessed phony permits, in reference to previous disputes.

According to Dar, the statement caused PIA flights to be banned in the US, the UK, and Europe, costing the country’s aviation industry a substantial amount of money each year and harming its reputation.

He went on to say that the cabinet had suggested an investigation into the former minister’s remarks because of the significant impact they had on PIA and the grounding of multiple Pakistani pilots employed by foreign airlines.

Senator Rehman also raised broader concerns about the lack of clarity surrounding PIA’s privatization plan, urging the government to provide transparency. “The grounding of aircraft and uncertainty over the airline’s future need urgent attention,” she said.

Dar, while defending the privatization initiative, stated that the process was progressing rapidly and called for Pakistan’s corporate sector to take the lead in reviving the national carrier.