President signs bill to revive military courts

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – President Mamnoon Hussain has signed a bill removing the last hurdle for the revival of military courts to try terrorism suspects.

President Mamnoon Hussain has given his assent to 28th Amendment bill 2017 and Inquiry Commission Bill.

The development comes days after Pakistan's Senate and National Assembly separately passed a constitutional amendment to extend the practice, which has been in place for two years.

After getting signed from the President, the bills have become Act now.

Under Constitution's 28th Amendment, military courts have been extended for another two years.

A previous 2015 amendment established the military courts for a two-year mandate that expired in January.

The move to send terror suspects to military courts came after the December 2014 Taliban attack on an army run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar that killed 154 people — mostly schoolchildren.

Pakistan at the time also lifted its moratorium on the death penalty.