RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has admitted for hearing the petitions of retired Brigadier Raja Rizwan Haider and scientist Dr Wasim Akram who were awarded capital punishment by a military court for espionage.

Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan of LHC Rawalpindi bench overruled the administrative objections to Brig Haider’s petition and directed the registrar office to fix it for hearing on a suitable date.

On May 30, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had ratified the death sentences for Brig Haider and Dr Akram and 14-year imprisonment for retired Lt Gen Javed Iqbal. The then director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had tweeted that the three officers were handed over to “civil jail authorities”.

The convicts had challenged the military court’s verdict in the Military Appellate Court, which dismissed their appeal. After that they moved the LHC, claiming in their petitions that the military authorities were not sharing with them the details related to the trial proceedings.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2020