CRI听力:Pakistan to Set up Military Courts to Try Militants

Pakistan's National Assembly has passed a bill to establish military courts to hear terrorism-related cases.

The move is designed to both speed up trials and protect the process from the intimidation of judges and witnesses that has marred previous trials in civilian courts.

Rashid Godil is an MP from the the Muttahida Quami Movement.

"Our judicial system is under threat. There is no witness protection because these terrorists are more powerful. So the military court is definitely in democratic government is not good. But the time for Pakistan, these terrorists are strong enough, so these military courts is a necessity of time."

But critics have questioned whether the legislation gives away too much power to the military.

Akram Khan Durrani, from the Jamiat-Ulema-Islam party, has reservations about the bill.

"We have only one reservation, that the punishment would be awarded by the military court. There should be right of appeal in the supreme court for five or ten days."

The measure was approved after members of both houses of parliament voted by more than a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution to allow for military courts to be set up.

The courts will serve as an emergency measure - the legislation expires after two years.

The plan was announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after Taliban militants stormed a school in Peshawar last month and killed some 150 people, most of them children.