LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri says he is intimating the Pakistan Army beforehand that all the parties which had agreed in the multi-party conference on setting up military courts, will now ‘politicise’ the issue.

A statement quoted him as saying in a telephonic talk from Houston with party leaders here.

He said if the present law, police and anti-terrorist courts had been delivering in terrorism cases there would have been no need for military courts.

He said it seemed that the present rulers were themselves not sincere in the issue and they must keep a clear mind and must stop their allies from issuing statements against the military courts.

He alleged that the allies were a mouthpiece of the government and when the government did not have courage to say something openly it asked its allies to say that before the media.

The PAT chief said the world nations did not care about their national laws and made a collective front to fight against terrorism.

He said if the laws had not been supportive of the terrorists the situation would not have come to this point.

Dr Qadri said: “What we need is a joint strategy with a strong will, commitment and nerves of steel and fight with a clear conscience which this government lacks.

“Those who say that there is no provision of military courts in the Constitution they should tell the world that if killing innocent people and plundering the national wealth is allowed in the Basic Law.”

He said even if the Constitution did not allow military courts it should be amended accordingly as none was stopping the rulers from doing so.

He lamented why the rulers did not set up the military courts immediately after a consensus had been developed on it in the MPC. He saw mala fide intentions of the government behind this delay.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2014