The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that trying civilians over the May 9 riots in military courts was "null and void" on Monday.
The five-judge bench gave its unanimous verdict, as it admitted the petitions challenging the trial of the people allegedly involved in the May 9 riots.
The riots were triggered after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan was arrested from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court. As PTI supporters staged demonstrations to denounce their leader's arrest, it soon descended into violent riots
Meanwhile, on Monday, the bench — headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan, and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi — heard the petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and others.
The decision was reserved after top law officer AGP Mansoor Usman Awan completed his arguments centred around the domain, and scope of the military courts for trying civilians under the Army Act.
On Sunday, nine defendants who were facing trials under the Army Act had approached the top court, calling for an early conclusion to their cases by the military courts.
The May 9 violence had targeted civilian as well as military installations. Later, as many as 102 people were taken into custody for attacks on military establishments, including an office of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the city of Faisalabad.
Aitezaz Ahsan, a petitioner in the case, called the top court's verdict “very important”, Dawn reported. He hoped it would boost "democracy, Constitution and the justice system".
He said that all institutions must now realise that the Supreme Court had declared that no one was above the law. "The verdict has shown that giving relief is the prerogative of the SC.”