The caretaker Punjab government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the decision of a five-member bench that declared the trials of civilians under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 as unconstitutional. In the Oct 23 ruling, the bench had emphasized that the cases of the suspects involved in the vandalism would proceed before criminal courts and declared specific sections of the Army Act to be in violation of the Constitution. Other government entities, including the defence ministry, have also filed appeals challenging the verdict. The caretaker Punjab government’s petition has not yet been accepted for hearing. The plea argues that the trials under the Army Act are only for individuals involved in specific offenses and should not be challenged on the basis of fundamental rights. The petition urges the court to set aside the previous verdict and dismiss the petitions with costs.