ISLAMABAD - Two days after the 21st Constitutional Amendment become law, the Pakistan Army on Friday initiated the process of establishing special courts in the country to try terror suspects.
According to a statement issued by the ISPR, initially nine special courts are being established in four provinces and these courts will start functioning 'soon'.
The statement said three courts each will be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, two in Sindh and one in Balochistan.
Well-placed sources told The Nation that initially 100 cases of terror suspects to be tried in these courts are being finalised by the government.
These courts will be operated under the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of Pakistan Army.
The federal government, according to informed sources, is working day and night to evolve a comprehensive mechanism about the trial of the terror suspects.
About the process, the sources said that the provincial governments after finalising the cases of terror suspects would refer them to the Interior Ministry which will forward them to the Ministry of Defence for further action.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted six-year old moratorium on death penalty very next day of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar that left 150 people majority of them students dead.
Consequently, the national leadership unanimously approved a 20-point National Action Plan (NAP) to tackle the challenge of terrorism and extremism.
The 20-point National Action Plan seeks to establish a full-fledged national division on internal security under NACTA for rapid action against terrorists. The plan also seeks sweeping reforms in syllabus taught by religious seminaries and their regulation as well as curbs on terror financing.
The national leadership after thorough deliberations decided to bring about 21st Constitutional Amendment in order to implement the NAP in letter and spirit.
The bill was presented in the National Assembly to seek changes in the Constitution and Military Act to speed up trial of terrorists, and was consequently passed by the National Assembly and the Senate on Tuesday.
President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday signed the 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill 2015 into law seeking speedy trial of terror suspects.
At least six terrorists have been hanged in various jails of the country since December 16 while Dr Khalid who masterminded attack on former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf was also hanged in Adyala jail Rawalpindi on Friday.
Pakistan being victim of terrorism has suffered huge losses in terms of life and property over the past 14 years. More than 60,000 people including security personnel have been killed besides economic losses of nearly 150 billion US dollars.
SIX MILITANTS KILLED IN NWA CLASH
INP adds: At least extremists were reported killed in an exchange of firing with the security forces here on Friday.
Official sources said that the clash took place in tehsil Dattakhel area of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) where militants offered resistance during operation of the security forces.
In cross firing which continued for more than an hour, six extremists were killed while others fled away.
The security personnel recovered heavy automated weapons from the possession of extremists killed during the clash.
Placing a strict cordon of in the area the security forces launched search operation but no arrest was made.