ISLAMABAD: Ex-military secretary to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who remained loyal to the elected government during the October 1999 coup, has been struggling to get his pension for over two decades.

Javed Iqbal Malik joined the army through 48th PMA long course and was commissioned in 14th Field Regiment Artillery on December 12, 1971 and retired as a brigadier.

He filed a petition with Lahore High Court seeking the release of his pension and other post-retirement benefits.

In the petition, Brig Malik contended that he served in the army for more than 30 years and was lastly posted as the military secretary to then prime minister in 1999.

“On October 12, 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf was removed from service by the federal government and replaced by General Ziauddin as the new chief of army staff, he refused to obey the orders of his removal and brought a military coup against the constitutionally elected prime minister,” the petition said.

Retired Col Inamur Rahim, the counsel for Brig Malik, contended before LHC Justice Jawad Hassan that the petitioner being the military secretary to then prime minister was also unlawfully arrested and detained for no fault.

The petitioner was illegally incarcerated for a long period of time without any legal proceedings against him.

Subsequently, an inquiry was conducted against the petitioner, headed by Lt Gen Hamid Javed. However, due to lack of any incriminating evidence, no charge was framed against him and the inquiry was dropped.

“In February 2001, after about one and a half years of illegal imprisonment in solitary confinement and mental torture, Brig Iqbal was set free without any criminal or disciplinary proceedings against him.”

However, the matter of service benefits of the petitioner was kept pending and he was unlawfully deprived from all his entitlements as a military officer, including his earned pension.

During the periods of successive chiefs of army staff and governments, the petitioner kept making petitions to them for the release of his service benefits but he was not given a satisfactory response.

As per the petition, the LHC had earlier referred the petitioner to the defence ministry for redressal of his grievances. A panel of officers of the ministry heard him and opined that his claim was “genuine” as he had no fault in the events of October 12, 1999, military coup d’état by General Musharraf.

It said the ministry on Sept 20, 2023, again declined the request seeking to release his pension and other post-retirement benefits.

Justice Jawad Hassan heard the petition and issued notice to the defence ministry and sought their reply.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2023