COAS endorses death sentence for retired brigadier, a civilian for 'espionage, leaking information'
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa endorsed punishment to two senior retired Army officers and one civil officer "on the charges of espionage/ leakage of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudice to the national security", a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Thursday.
"The officers were tried under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and Official Secret Act by separate Field General Court Marshal (FGCM) for separate cases," said the statement issued by the military's media wing.
The following details, quoted verbatim, list the names of the three individuals and the punishment accorded to them:
- Retired Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal — awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment
- Retired Brigadier Raja Rizwan — awarded death sentence
- Doctor Wasim Akram (Employed at Sensitive Organisation) — awarded death sentence
ISPR also released a video statement of Major General Asif Ghafoor confirming the arrest of the two officers and their court-marital.
"Reports started circulating in the media that two senior army officers were under arrest. Yes they are. There are two officers who are under military custody on the charges of espionage," the ISPR director general confirms in the video.
"The army chief has ordered a field general court martial which is under process."
Maj Gen Ghafoor said that both were separate cases and not linked to one another in any way "and there is no network as such".
"Please keep in mind that if we have been able to get them and identify the issue, it is a success.
"These things do happen [...] when the court martial process is complete, I will share whatever results emerge with you."
