By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – A military trial of civilians in Pakistan will resume after the country's top court suspended its earlier verdict on Wednesday, a court record said.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had in October declared null and void military trials of at least 103 civilians.

A six-member bench headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood today announced a 5-1 decision on a set of intra-court appeals challenging the Oct. 23 unanimous judgment.

Justice Mussarat Hilali, the bench's only woman member, opposed the majority verdict.

The court, however, said the military courts "would not issue a final verdict against the suspects" and that the "final ruling would be conditional upon the Supreme Court's orders."

In October, a five-judge panel ruled that military trials of civilians arrested for alleged involvement in violence in May this year were unconstitutional, declaring them null and void.

The court adjourned the hearing until the third week of January.

The development, which cleared the way for military trials of civilians, at least, until a final verdict is announced, comes on the heels of a string of terrorist attacks on Tuesday in northwest Pakistan, killing 28 soldiers and policemen.

Currently, 103 civilians from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan are facing military trials under the Army Act, following the May 9 violence, which included attacks on military installations, when Khan was arrested in a corruption case.

Since then, Khan's PTI has faced a crackdown, with thousands of workers said to be behind bars and several key leaders leaving his party.

Khan is also facing trial in several cases and is currently being held in a prison near Islamabad.

The PTI denies involvement in attacks on public and private property, calling the violence a conspiracy against the party.