COAS endorses sentencing of two army and one civil officers

RAWALPINDI (92 News) – Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday endorsed the punishment to two army and one civil officer on the charges of espionage/ leakage of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudice to the national security. According to the statement of the Inter-Service Public Relation (ISPR), the officers were tried under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and Official Secret Act by separate Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for separate cases. Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Iqbal has been awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment, while Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan has been awarded the death sentence. Doctor Wasim Akram, who was employed at a sensitive organization, has also been awarded the death penalty. Some 400 officers of every rank have been given various punishments, including dismissal from service, during the last two years. According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), they were involved in bombings and attacks. It further said that the convicts were behind terrorist attacks that resulted in the death of 176 persons including 19 Armed Forces personnel, 41 police/levies officials and 116 civilians, whereas, injuring 217 others. The army’s media wing said that the arms and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists’ possession when they were arrested. “The convicted terrorists were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, ie attacking Armed Forces/ Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan, exploding of Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device to carry out sectarian killings, destruction of communication infrastructure, police check posts, educational institutions and killing of innocent civilians.” The convicts also included at least six terrorists involved in the March 2013 bombing in Karachi’s Abbas Town which claimed 57 lives and another convict who abetted a suicide bomb attack at the city’s Nishtar Park which resulted in the death of 54 persons in April 2006.