The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenged the use of the military under Article 245 on Monday, claiming that it was being used to “politically victimize” the Imran Khan-led party.
It said that the civilians accused of setting fire to a building on May 9 were being tried in military courts, which was a “clear violation of due process” and Pakistan’s adherence to international law.
The PTI’s additional secretary general Omar Ayub Khan filed the plea on the party’s behalf, asking the highest court to take action in accordance with Article 184(3).
The petition asked 22 questions about the law’s application, whether the requisition breaches Article 17 or not, and whether the deployment poses a “threat to the system of parliamentary democracy.”
A “discriminatory attitude” towards the application of Article 245 and Section 144 was also questioned in the petition, which questioned the “federal government’s support” of the public rally organized by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) outside the Supreme Court.
The petition inquired as to if the designation of the PTI as a “terrorist organization” was a ploy to prevent elections from taking place and “oust” the Imran Khan-led party from the electoral process.
Following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court on May 9, riots broke out across the nation, and various military installations were damaged, including the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The military was requested to preserve law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Islamabad following the violent protests.
Ten companies of soldiers have been authorised by the Ministry of Interior in response to the Punjab government’s request for assistance, with the statement that “the army would be working alongside district administration to restore law, order, and peace”.
The Interior Ministry approved the Punjab government’s request for help by sanctioning ten companies of troops.
