Pakistan’s Army Chief continues to trample over democratic red lines. Now he has decided to try civilians in a military court that he will constitute. The name for this is military dictatorship, and it’s brazenly unconstitutional.#Pakistan
[Thread]

— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 22, 2023

There was a brief time, after the tragic terrorist attack on the army public school in Peshawar, when the constitution was amended (23rd Amendment) to allow for military trial of civilians. But that amendment expired in 2019, per its sunset clause.

— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 22, 2023

To again try civilians in a military court, the constitution will have to be amended once more, this time with no discernible justification.

— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 22, 2023

Furthermore, according to my information the current parliament—because of the resignation of its PTI members—is not so constituted to do this. I invite Pakistan's constitutional scholars to express themselves.

— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 22, 2023

Should the Army Chief take this unconstitutional step, it would be yet an additional reason for why he is not the right person to lead Pakistan's Armed Forces and play such a sensitive role in this important country’s destiny.
[End]

— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) May 22, 2023