PHC says petitions of convicted militants be held in-camera

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday declared that the review petitions of the alleged militants who were sentenced to death by the military courts should be held in-camera.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikramullah Khan was hearing the review petitions of 29 terrorists, who were convicted by the military courts on charges of terrorism.

The high court ordered suspension of the death sentences till a decision in the petitions. The bench declared the proceedings of the review petitions should be held in-camera.

At the previous hearing, Additional Attorney General S M Attique Shah had requested the court to hold the proceedings in-camera. However, the court had asked the law officer to assist it and quote a specific law under which the petitions could be heard in-camera.

Additional Attorney General S M Attique Shah informed the court that being a matter of sensitive nature and to ensure protection of judges, witnesses and other sensitive record, the petitions beheld in-camera. The PHC had stayed the execution of the terrorists till next order as these cases had been pending for the last few months.