Vandalism Becoming a ‘Culture,’ Says SC Judge Amid Military Court Hearings

Islamabad, (February 12, 2025) – A Supreme Court judge has remarked that acts of vandalism during public protests have become a growing “trend” and “culture,” citing incidents of destruction during the May 9 riots. Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, part of a seven-member constitutional bench (CB), made the observation while hearing intra-court appeals against the Supreme Court’s October 2023 verdict that barred the trial of May 9 suspects in military courts. He highlighted how rioters stormed the Lahore Corps Commander’s house and other locations, comparing the events to unrest in Bangladesh and Syria. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail also weighed in, noting that unlawful entry into private residences—whether of officials or ordinary citizens—remains a crime. When Justice Rizvi questioned if such attacks on corps commanders’ homes had occurred elsewhere in the world, PTI’s Barrister Salman Akram Raja responded that similar incidents had taken place and offered to provide examples. The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that trying civilians in military courts under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, was unlawful, prompting the government to file an appeal. During proceedings, Justice Mandokhail expressed concern that parliament seemed preoccupied with other matters instead of addressing the legal issues being debated in court.
Source: The Express Tribune