COAS Awarded Sentence To Senior Army Officers/Civilian on Spying Charges

ISLAMABAD: In a brief statement issued on Thursday (ISPR), the Inter-Services Public Relations endorsed the punishment to the officers on the charges of “espionage and leaking of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudice to national security”.

 

Three-star retired general has been sentenced to 14 years in jail and a retired brigadier awarded with a death sentence by general field courts-martial on charges of espionage and leaking “sensitive information” to foreign agencies.

 

The death penalty was also handed down to a doctor associated with a "sensitive organization" on a similar charge.

The officers were Lieutenant General (R) Javed Iqbal, Brigadier (R) Raja Rizwan and Doctor Wasim Akram �" were tried under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act by separate field general courts-martial in separate cases.

 

Lt Gen (R) Iqbal was granted a sentence of 14 years ' imprisonment, and Brigadier (R) Rizwan was given the death penalty. Dr Akram has also been given the death penalty, who, according to the ISPR, was employed at a sensitive organization.

 

People are bound not to disclose secret information under the Official Secrets Act. This is applicable to both in uniform as well as in civilian governments. Violation of the act shall be punishable by life imprisonment or death.

 

The ISPR did not reveal the exact nature of the spying in which the officers were involved but certain reports suggest that they had transmitted sensitive data to the CIA.