Pakistan's 21st Amendment courts -- and a "strange coincidence"

Dawn, the Pakistani newspaper, has run this excellent summary of the state of play regarding the country's 21st Amendment military courts. These courts are authorized to try civilians, contrary to prevailing human rights standards. Challenges have been rejected by the nation's courts. Excerpt:

One of the counsels appearing for convicts said that the superior courts had rejected their plea that the convicts were not provided opportunity to engage a legal practitioner of their choice and had accepted the contention of the deputy attorney general that they were provided the said opportunity, but they had declined to avail it. He said it was a strange coincidence that none of the over 100 convicts had decided to engage a private counsel.

Strange indeed. What might explain it?