Reacting to statements on recent decisions of military courts, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday that these decisions were made under the law enacted by Parliament and in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “Pakistan is fully committed to fulfilling all its international human rights obligations.”
He said that Pakistan’s legal system is compatible with international human rights law, including the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
“It contains remedies of judicial review by superior courts and guarantees the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
The spokesperson added that Islamabad believes in constructive and productive dialogue for the promotion of principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law.
“We are fully committed to implementing our commitments under the GSP Plus scheme and core international human rights conventions.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said it would continue to engage with its international partners, including the European Union, to uphold international human rights law without discrimination and double standards.
A military court last week sentenced 25 people involved in attacks on state facilities during the violent protests of May 9, 2023.
Violent protests erupted after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was detained in a corruption case. As a result, hundreds of party workers were arrested and more than 100 civilians are facing military trials.
However, the party founded by Khan maintained that he had no role in incidents involving military installations, including the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ), and has called for a judicial inquiry into last year’s incidents.
United States, United Kingdom, European Union expressed concern over military trials
After the verdict, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States expressed reservations over the recent punishments given to civilians by military courts.
Earlier today, the US expressed “deep concern” over the sentencing of 25 civilians by a military tribunal in Pakistan, claiming that military courts lacked judicial independence, transparency and due process guarantees.
In a brief statement issued today, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington had been calling on Pakistani authorities to “respect” the right to a fair trial and due process enshrined in the country’s constitution.
The UK also urged the federal government to uphold its obligations under the ICCPR.
“Military acts undermine the right to transparency, independent scrutiny and a fair trial in the courts,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement released on Monday.
However, the spokesman said that the UK respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its legal proceedings.
The European Union was the first to react to the issue, expressing concern over the sentence handed down by the military court to 25 accused, saying that the verdicts were inconsistent with Pakistan’s obligations under the ICCPR. went
“According to Article 14 of the ICCPR, everyone has the right to a fair and public trial by a court that is independent, impartial and competent, and to adequate and effective legal representation”. External Action Service.
Further, it said, Article 14 also provides that “any judgment pronounced in a criminal case shall be made public”.
Under the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), beneficiary countries including Pakistan have voluntarily agreed to effectively implement 27 international core conventions—including the ICCPR—the statement added. in order to continue to benefit from the GSP+ status.