ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Thursday that his party did not fully support the idea of establishing military courts to try terrorists but could support the idea in view of the existing situation.

Fazl was speaking to media representatives in the federal capital after addressing scholars of religious seminaries at a meeting.

He said that when the government had put forward the proposal of establishing military courts in yesterday's meeting, experts present there questioned the constitutional status of these tribunals. He said although his party did not support the idea of military courts as a matter of principle, it could still do so in view of the recent acts of terrorism.

"It is incorrect to say that JUI-F endorses the idea of constituting military courts to try suspected terrorists," he said.

In yesterday's meeting, it was debated that certain laws and regulations have failed in prosecuting terrorists and preventing attacks by terrorist groups. "Laws did not fail, the implementation of these laws has been poor. If we are saying that the laws have failed and if tomorrow military courts fail as well, would we bring in martial law?" the JUI-F chief questioned, adding that his party did not fully support the setting up of military courts due to these long term concerns.

Fazl said the country's leadership should remain united when it comes to forward planning for the nation.

"It is unfortunate that whenever we [leaders] have united, it has only been after an incident of immense gravity such as the Peshawar school massacre," he said.

Separately, the JUI-F chief said that seminaries and religious parties have always supported communal harmony and discouraged militancy.