Pakistan Army Act, 1952 | |
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Parliament of Pakistan | |
Enacted by | Parliament of Pakistan |
Pakistan Army Act, 1952 is a controversial act, passed by the Parliament of Pakistan in 1952. [1] It is the primary statute governing the affairs of Pakistan Army. [2] [3]
Established in 1952, the Pakistan Army Act regulates the legal code within the military, mainly for prosecuting military personnel and associated civilians. [1] An amendment in 1966, during Ayub Khan's tenure, extended its application to civilians, specifically those charged with inciting mutiny or accused of disseminating classified information and assaulting military infrastructure. [1]
Legal proceedings under this Act occur in the Field General Court Martial, under the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch's aegis. [1] Both the court's president and the prosecuting counsel are serving military officers. [1] Defendants possess the right to legal representation, with provisions for military officers to fill this role if necessary. Convicted individuals can appeal to an army court within forty days. [1]
If dissatisfaction persists after the army court of appeal's verdict, further appeals to high courts are permissible. [1] Depending on the offence's severity, penalties range from two years of imprisonment to life sentences, with capital punishment also a possible outcome. [1]
The act was amended in 2015 under the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2015. The bill was approved by National Assembly of Pakistan on 6 January 2015. [4] This amendment allowed the establishment of special military courts to try the civilians suspected of terrorism. The courts established under this amendment had a moratorium of two years thus setting an end date of January 2017. Furthermore, Pakistan Army Act, 1952 (PAA) was added to the First Schedule of the Constitution through Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan making it exempt from voidance under the premise of being against fundamental rights. [5] The establishment of military courts under this amendment was challenged in the Supreme Court of Pakistan but a full court bench of seventeen judges upheld the amendment by an 11 to 6 decision. [6]
On 10 April 2017, Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by Field General Court Martial under section 59 of the act. [7]
Under Imran Khan's Prime Ministership from August 2018 to April 2022, more than 20 civilian trials transpired under this Act according to available accounts. [1] Notably, human rights activist Idris Khattak received a 14-year sentence in 2021 for espionage allegations. [1]
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