ISLAMABAD: Islamabad on Tuesday said that the “verdicts have been made under the law” in response to the question raised by the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union over the civilians’ convictions by military courts.
Last week, 25 PTI activists were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to 10 years by military courts for their involvement in the May 9 incidents that happened last year following the arrest of former primer Imran Khan in a graft case, the ISPR said on Saturday.
In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said “Pakistan’s legal system is consistent with international human rights law” including provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan is fully committed to fulfilling all its international human rights obligations. “The verdicts have been made under a law enacted by the Parliament of Pakistan and in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” it read.
Furthermore, Baloch emphasised that the convicts have remedies of judicial review by the superior courts, which “guarantee the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
The Foreign Office asserted that Pakistan believes in “constructive and productive dialogue” to promote principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
“We remain fully committed to implementing our commitments under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and core international human rights conventions,” the statement said after the European Union raised questions regarding the issue.
“We will continue to engage with our international partners including the European Union to uphold the international human rights law, without any discrimination and double standards,” it concluded.
