Pakistan scraps trials before military courts after 4 years

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is doing away with trials before special military courts, a measure that's been in place for over four years to help the government curb terror attacks.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry says the courts were re-introduced under special circumstances to fight terrorism. Their mandate expired on Monday and there was no consensus in parliament to extend them.

Pakistan in 2015 resumed military trials for terror suspects and lifted a moratorium on the death penalty after a Taliban attack the year before on a school in Peshawar killed more than 150 people, mostly young students.

Chaudhry says the courts have over the past four years decided 478 cases and sentenced 284 to death; 192 were sentenced to various prison terms.

He says regular courts will handle terrorism cases from now on.