‘Govt should avoid amending constitution to set up military courts’

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Thursday warned the government to avoid any kind of amendment in the constitution to establish military courts for countering terrorism. "The government must avoid any amendment in the constitution, rather it should amend the Army Act of 1952 before establishing military courts," the opposition leader said while initiating the debate in the lower house regarding the Peshawar school attack. "I would suggest that the government not take any controversial step which creates division among the political leadership of the country because a new door will be opened," he said. "The basic structure of the constitution will finish if the government amends it to establish military courts," Shah warned.

Condemning the terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar, Shah said the political leadership joined hands after the atrocity and that the government should take all steps to counter terrorists in the country. Meanwhile, MQM MNA Abdul Rashid Godil said that Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak admitted in a meeting that the provincial government received a letter regarding the threats of terrorist attacks on schools in Peshawar but failed to take security measures in this regard.

He said that after the 18th Amendment, it is the responsibility of provincial governments to take security measures for protect- ing the residents of respective provinces.

"It is unfortunate that some political parties supported the Taliban in the past and made them an offer to open their office in the province, but it's good that the leadership of such parties have changed their stance," Godil added.