Insight - Worries grow as new courts hand Pakistan army more power

Muhammad Azeem (L) and Sajida Parveen, the parents of Ehsan Azeem, who was sentenced to death by a military court, react while holding their son's picture during an interview with Reuters in Rawalpindi January 23, 2015. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Weeks after Taliban gunmen massacred 134 pupils at an army-run school, Pakistani lawmakers significantly expanded the power of military courts by allowing them to try civilians accused of terrorism.

Critics say the new rules cede too much ground to the military, which towers over Pakistani politics despite the first ever handover of power from one civilian government to another two years ago.