The United States has joined the European Union and the United Kingdom in expressing concerns over the recent sentencing of 25 civilians by military courts for their involvement in the May 9 riots in Pakistan. The individuals, primarily PTI activists, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to ten years by a military tribunal last week.
The sentencing followed violent protests that erupted nationwide after the arrest of PTI leader Imran Khan in May 2023. The PTI party rejected the military court verdicts, and legal experts raised questions about the fairness of the proceedings, criticizing the disproportionately high conviction rates.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller posted a statement on X, expressing concern over the military trials of Pakistani civilians. He urged Pakistan to uphold the right to a fair trial and due process, reinforcing previous statements by the U.S. government highlighting the lack of judicial independence and transparency in military tribunals.
The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) also voiced its reservations, acknowledging Pakistan’s sovereignty but stressing that civilian trials in military courts undermine the right to a fair trial. They called on the Pakistani government to honor its obligations under international human rights laws, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
In a similar vein, the European Union (EU) expressed concerns about the military court rulings, warning that they could affect Pakistan’s trade status with the EU under the GSP+ scheme. The GSP+ arrangement provides Pakistan with tariff concessions, contingent on its compliance with 27 international human rights conventions, including the ICCPR.
PTI officials have backed these international concerns, stating that the military court trials are unjust and could lead to Pakistan’s isolation globally. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram warned that Pakistan’s economic prosperity and its continued GSP+ status could be at risk if these violations persist.
In a separate development, PTI leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid, currently imprisoned, condemned the military verdicts in a letter from jail. She decried the erosion of democratic principles in Pakistan, asserting that the ruling was a grave violation of human rights and constitutional rights. Dr. Rashid emphasized that justice had become a distant dream for many Pakistanis since the suspension of certain constitutional guarantees.
