LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has welcomed the 21st constitutional amendment regarding setting up of military courts for speedy prosecution of terrorists.

It reminds that Dr Tahirul Qadri was the first one who had demanded such courts in his 14-point agenda for eradication of extremism.

PAT President Dr Raheeg Abbasi says military courts are the need of the hour.

`Had the anti-terrorism courts performed judiciously and without any political vendetta, military courts would have not been required today,` he argues, reminding that 85pc of terrorists in Punjab and 95pc in Sindh got away without being convicted.

He said the parliamentary parties supporting the constitutional amendment rendered a nationalservice and should not spoil their duty by giving apologetic remarl(s. To root out terrorism, he says, setting up militarycourtsis the ñrststepin the right direction and stopping foreign funding and revising syllabi are the next important steps.