ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened yet another All-Party Conference (APC) on Friday for garnering political support for the controversial military courts under apparent pressure from the army for their establishment, but amid a parliamentary stalemate over how to create them.

“An All-Party Conference to discuss national issues would be held at the PM House tomorrow,” a government’s spokesman said after a meeting of the civilian and political leadership that was presided over by the prime minister.

The huddle was preceded by a meeting of the corps commanders at the General Headquarters that in a clear reference to the debate over the setting up of military courts for the trial of terror accused called for “bold and meaningful decisions leading to stern action against terrorists and their sympathisers”.

The key question before the political leadership is provision of constitutional cover for military courts. There have been a number of proposals on the issue, but after extensive brainstorming the government’s legal minds have reached the conclusion that amending the constitution was the only way forward.

At a similar gathering on Dec 24, the political leadership had agreed on setting up speedy trial courts headed by army officers as part of the National Action Plan for fighting terrorism. But later some parties started expressing reservations on military courts giving rise to an impression of a rupture in the consensus.

Commanders seek ‘bold and meaningful decisions’ to fight terrorists

According to political observers, confirmation of participation of PPP Co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari in Friday’s meeting pointed towards government efforts for winning him over because key legislators belonging to his party had opposed military courts during a debate in parliament.

The government has been weighing various options to amend the constitution. Till Thursday night all that they had was an array of proposals, which they would table before the political leadership.

“The political process is moving on that. We have a divided house,” an officer working on the proposals told Dawn over phone.

The various choices on the table include extending the scope of Article 245 of the Constitution (armed forces acting in aid of civil power) to provide for military-led courts; and amending the Pakistan Protection Act, 2014, which has a provision for special trial courts, to allow such courts to be headed by army officers. Amending the Army Act to allow trial of civilians is one other suggestion.

The National Security meeting on Thursday, besides discussing the political division on military courts, reviewed progress on 19 other points of the National Action Plan. Reports of 16 committees formed by Mr Sharif for implementation of the plan were presented at the meeting.

At the meeting, the prime minister repeated most of the messages that he had been putting out since the Peshawar tragedy — “We’ll defeat terrorism and wouldn’t be terrorised by it”, “nobody can be neutral in this war against terrorists”, and “we’ll take the war to the hideouts of terrorists”.

In a message directed to the army, Mr Sharif sought to reassure them of his government’s continued and unflinching support for the counter-terrorism plans. “We will support our armed forces and law-enforcement agencies to keep Pakistan and our children safe ... Fight against terrorists will be fought holistically …and every tool will be used for it.”

Corps Commanders Conference: Army top brass had earlier in the day made it clear that it was not ready to accept any compromise on the steps agreed in the National Action Plan, including military courts.

While calling for bold decisions and stern action against terrorists, the army command hoped that “much wanted and precious wider political consensus achieved against terrorism is not lost to smaller issues”.

By “smaller issues”, it is believed, they were referring to the questions being raised by political parties about the constitutional justification for military-led courts.

Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif was quoted by ISPR as having stressed that “key lies in all institutions joining hands for an effective and prompt implementation of a comprehensive National Action Plan without having to lose any further time”.

APP adds: The prime minister was briefed by the ISI chief and the interior secretary about the progress on the Zarb-i-Azb operation and the national action plan.

Mr Sharif offered Fateha for the martyrs of Punjab Rangers and directed National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz to take up the issue with the Indian government.

The implementation of the national action plan was being treated as top priority and the prime minister was holding regular meetings to ensure its swift implementation.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Khan and ministers, including Ishaq Dar (Finance), Pervaiz Rasheed (Information), Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan (Interior), Khwaja Asif (Defence), Ahsan Iqbal (Planning and Development) and retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (Safron) attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2015