By 
Diyara Demir | Pakistan Researcher
Uroojmirza71, July 29, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons
The Supreme Court of Pakistan reinstates military trials for civilians linked to 2023 protests, raising concerns over fair trial rights and suppression of dissent, particularly affecting Baloch activists.
On May 9, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of allowing the military to try civilians accused of involvement in the violent protests of May 9, 2023. The 5-2 verdict overturned a previous October 2023 decision and restored parts of the Army Act that had been deemed unconstitutional, reigniting concerns over the erosion of fair-trial rights.
The protests had erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Dozens of civilian defendants, including political activists, were charged with attacking military installations. As a result of the new ruling, at least 103 civilians can now face trials in military courts, which lack transparency and do not guarantee the same legal safeguards as civilian courts. Though the Supreme Court stipulated that convicted individuals must be granted the right to appeal in civilian courts, human rights groups argue the ruling does not offset the risks of due process violations.
The ruling comes amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent, particularly in Balochistan. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both condemned the arrest of prominent Baloch rights defender Dr. Mahrang Baloch and the use of anti-terror laws to detain peaceful protesters demanding justice for enforced disappearances. UN experts have warned that Pakistan is increasingly labelling legitimate human rights advocacy as terrorism, threatening freedoms of speech, assembly, and political participation.
Critics say the military’s growing judicial reach signals a shrinking civic space and a troubling blurring of the lines between civil and military authority in Pakistan.
Sources and further readings:
Dawn News, ‘SC allows military trials of civilians’, May 9, 2025. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1889965
Arab News, ‘Detained Pakistan rights activist ends hunger strike’, April 29, 2025. Available at: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2598903/pakistan
Amnesty International, ‘Pakistan: Systematic attacks and relentless crackdown on Baloch activists must end’, March 27, 2025. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/03/pakistan-systematic-attacks-and-relentless-crackdown-on-baloch-activists-must-end/
Amnesty International, ‘Forced Disappearances in Pakistan: The Case of Mahrang Baloch’, February 21, 2025. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/country-specialists/forced-disappearances-pakistan-case-mahrang-baloch
UN OHCHR, ‘UN experts urge Pakistan to address human rights violations in Balochistan’, April 29, 2025.
Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/un-experts-urge-pakistan-address-human-rights-violations-balochistan
