Army chief confirms life sentence for serving major over misuse of authority

Published August 20, 2019
Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. — INP/File
Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. — INP/File

Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed the sentence of life imprisonment awarded to a serving army major for misusing his authority, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The major was tried by a Field General Court Martial, which found the officer guilty of misusing his authority.

"Pakistan Army, alive to its institutional accountability system has dismissed the officer from service and sent him to jail for life," the ISPR statement added.

The military's media wing did not reveal the name of the officer or further details of the case against him.

Earlier this year, the army chief had ratified the punishment awarded 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".

Those convicted and sentenced at the time were retired Lt Gen Javed Iqbal, who was awarded 14-year rigorous imprisonment, retired Brig Raja Rizwan, and Dr Wasim Akram, who according to the ISPR was employed at a 'sensitive organisation'.

Raja Rizwan and Wasim Akram were awarded the death sentence.

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