Judicial Hearing on Military Courts Case: Justice Jamal Mandokhail Remarks on Government’s Policy Decisions

Islamabad:During the ongoing hearing of the case concerning military courts, **Justice Jamal Mandokhail** remarked that the government’s **policy decisions** will not impact the court’s proceedings. “The government can make any decision it wants, but the court must focus on its case,” he stated. He further added that if the government decides to declare “the civilian system a failure and send all cases to military courts,” it would be within its jurisdiction, but the court will continue its examination independently.

The hearing is being conducted by a **six-member larger bench** led by **Justice Aminuddin Khan**. During the session, **Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan** informed the court that he would present arguments on three key points:
1. What transpired on May 9th?
2. The implementation of assurances made by the government.
3. The issue regarding the right to appeal.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail emphasized that it is the **parliament’s prerogative** to amend the **Army Act** as it sees fit, but the court’s responsibility remains to examine the case before it.

**Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar** asked how much time Attorney General Awan would need to present his arguments on these three points, to which the Attorney General responded that he would conclude his arguments in **45 minutes**.

The court adjourned the hearing, scheduling it for **May 5th**.