ISLAMABAD:
The United States and the United Kingdom on Monday questioned the trial and sentencing of civilians in military courts in Pakistan, a day after the European Union (EU) expressed similar concerns.
Last week, military courts sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms of between two and ten years for attacking military installations during unrest that broke out in May last year.
In a statement, the State Department said the United States was deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians had been sentenced by a military court for their participation in the May 9, 2023, protests.
“These military courts lack judicial independence, transparency and guarantees of due process,” he stated. “The United States continues to call on Pakistani authorities to respect the right to a fair trial and due process, enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.”
Earlier, a statement issued in London by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCO) said trying civilians in military courts lacked transparency and independent scrutiny and undermined the right to a fair trial.
“We call on the Government of Pakistan to fulfill its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the FCO statement read.
The EU had on Sunday expressed concern over the conviction of 25 civilians, insisting the verdict was inconsistent with Pakistan’s commitments to ensure a “fair and public” trial of each person.
“The European Union notes with concern the conviction of twenty-five civilians by a military court on December 21 in Pakistan,” reads a statement issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels.
“These verdicts are considered incompatible with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),” the statement added.
“In accordance with article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, everyone has the right to a fair and public trial before an independent, impartial and competent tribunal, and has the right to adequate and effective legal representation. It also stipulates that all sentence handed down in a criminal case The case will be made public,” the statement added.
He also noted that under the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries, including Pakistan, have voluntarily agreed to effectively implement 27 core international conventions, including the ICCPR, to continue benefiting from the GSP+ status.
