The Pakistan army revealed Monday that more than 100 people are being prosecuted in military tribunals for their alleged roles in last month's nationwide violent protests over the sudden arrest of former prime Minister Imran Khan.
The revelation comes despite strong criticism from local and global rights groups of incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government for pressing ahead with military trials of civilians, mostly members of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party.
Army spokesperson Major General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a nationally televised news conference that those on trial in military courts were allegedly involved in attacks on defense installations during protests on May 9, the day when Khan was arrested on graft charges by paramilitary forces outside a high court in the capital, Islamabad.
"Currently, 102 miscreants are under trial in 17 standing military courts nationwide. Civilian courts lawfully transferred these cases to military courts after examining the proofs (against the suspects)," Chaudhry said.
He added that the military had also sacked three senior officers, including a lieutenant general, for failing "to maintain the security and sanctity" of army sites during the unrest.
"Strict disciplinary action against 15 officers, including three major generals and seven brigadiers, has also been completed," Chaudhry said. He did not disclose the names of the officers, saying that family members of several former army generals were also facing "the accountability process” for playing a role in the violence.
The spokesperson insisted that those tried in military tribunals would have access to their attorneys and the right to appeal in civilian courts -- claims critics dismiss.
The Supreme Court outlawed Khan's arrest after three days, but tens of thousands of his supporters staged street protests across Pakistan. Protesters clashed with riot police in major cities. Angry PTI supporters gathered outside some military sites. They raised slogans against the powerful institution allegedly behind their leader's arrest, with some setting fire to several defense sites and murals.
Khan has distanced his party from the violence, saying operatives of government intelligence agencies infiltrated "peaceful protesters" and assaulted the military targets.
The Sharif government, backed by the military, has since unleashed a nationwide crackdown on the PTI, arresting thousands of its members, including women, former lawmakers, and ministers, on charges they participated in the violence.
However, scores of close Khan aides have since publicly quit the party and denounced the anti-army protests, enabling them to leave prison and escape prosecution. Those refusing to sever ties with Khan have repeatedly been re-arrested, with some continuing to resist pressure, while many other senior PTI members are in hiding.
The 70-year-old former prime minister and independent analysts say the defections stemmed from "custodial torture," harassment of close family members, and other "pressure tactics” used by the military.
Speaking Monday, Chaudhry denied the army was behind custodial torture or coercing PTI members into quitting the party, which public polls rank as the most popular political group in Pakistan.
Khan faces more than 150 charges, including treason, corruption, murder, and terrorism in a range of criminal cases. The government has barred dozens of Pakistani television news stations from showing pictures of the former prime minister or even using his name or that of his party’s name.
Imran Riaz Khan, a pro-PTI journalist, and household name through his YouTube shows, was also among those arrested and accused of inciting violence. He has not been seen or heard since police arrested him on May 11.
Analysts say the legal challenges, the media ban, and the crackdown on Khan’s party stem from his campaign of defiance and allegations the military plotted last year's parliamentary vote of no-confidence that toppled Khan's government.
This was the first time in history that a prime minister in Pakistan was removed through a no-confidence vote.
Generals have staged three successful coups in Pakistan, leading to decades of martial law and allowing the military to influence national politics.
Earlier this month, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded the government try those accused of arson in civilian-run courts. The watchdog said that suspects tried under military laws "do not have the right of appeal to civilian courts, whose role is restricted to exercising narrow powers of judicial review in such cases."
In a recent statement, Amnesty International also denounced the plans to subject civilians to military court prosecutions as "incompatible with Pakistan's obligations under international human rights law."
The global rights monitor said that "flagrant disregard for due process, lack of transparency, coerced confessions, and executions after grossly unfair trials" — are some of the human rights violations stemming from previous such trials.
