The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday upheld the sentences awarded by a military court to three individuals, dismissing their petitions challenging the convictions.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Fazal Subhan heard the appeals against the military court’s decisions. During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah informed the court that the military court had awarded the sentences in accordance with the law, and that the accused had confessed before a magistrate.

He further stated that all three convicts were affiliated with a proscribed organisation. One was sentenced to life imprisonment, another to 20 years, and the third to 16 years. The state’s counsel argued that the military court had fulfilled all legal requirements, and that the accused were granted the right to appeal and were provided legal representation of their choice.

After hearing the arguments, the bench ruled that the military court’s decisions were legally sound, and dismissed all three petitions seeking to annul the sentences.

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The case gains significance in light of the Supreme Court’s May 7 verdict, which restored the original form of the Pakistan Army Act, thereby validating the trial of civilians in military courts under specific circumstances.