Pakistan's Supreme Court has come down hard on the powerful military's commercial activities and sought a commitment from the government to ensure the armed forces exclusively focus on defence-related matters rather than business ventures.

The assurance was sought by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, who was heading a three-judge bench in a case scrutinising the use of military lands for business purposes. The top court emphasised that all institutions of the country must stay within their constitutional boundaries, the Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday.