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'Brig Khan was conspiring against the govt': Report
Besides court martial, the brigadier could also face the death penalty.
If proven guilty, Brig Khan could face the death sentence. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
ISLAMABAD: As court martial proceedings against Pakistan Army’s Brigadier Ali Khan are underway, for suspected ties with banned group Hizbut Tahrir (HuT), the BBC’s Urdu service reported that it had acquired a copy of the official charge sheet against the senior army officer, on Wednesday.
The chargesheet was issued and signed by a high ranking army official in Sialkot, where the brigadier was serving. The chargesheet cites three allegations against Brig Khan.
The first allegation states that the Brigadier Khan had admitted on various occasions to links with the HuT between 2008 and 2011.
Next, the chargesheet stated that Brig Khan was conspiring to topple the government of Pakistan and for this purpose was trying to coax other senior army officers into joining him.
The officers include, Brigadier Amir Riaz, head of the 111 Brigade, Brigadier Naeem Sadiq of the Defence Export Promotion Organisation and Air Defence Command Brigadier Mohammad Amin.
The 111 brigade is posted in Rawalpindi and is part of the X Corps. It has been known to play a pivotal role in military takeovers in the country, given it is a force of 4,250 strong, assigned to guard sensitive military and government installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
The third charge against Brig Khan was that of trying to instigate a mutiny within the army by launching an attack on the GHQ.
If proven guilty on all counts, the brigadier could be sentenced to death. He will also face a court martial in the officer’s unit of origin, in Multan.
Civilians were also named in the chargesheet, who the army say are British citizens and members of HuT.
Earlier on February 12, military sources confirmed that a trial against Brig Khan was under way.
The brigadier and four other officers were detained in 2011, soon after the May 2 incident in which US forces killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. He has been in custody for almost 10 months and was working at the GHQ in Rawalpindi at the time of his arrest. Brig Khan has denied the allegations against him.
His lawyer, retired Col Inam Rahim, said his client was detained for demanding that someone within the military be held accountable for the covert US raid in Abbottabad.
Security agencies had also arrested HuT deputy spokesperson Imran Yousafzai from Islamabad following the detention of the suspected officials. Four other HuT activists were also arrested from Islamabad and Multan.
The banned outfit has spearheaded criticism against the Pakistan Army for its ‘failure’ during the US raid in Abbottabad.
Leaflets distributed by HuT in major cities instigated army officers to mutiny against their top brass.
Brig Khan was due to retire on July 9, 2011, after completing his service in the Pakistan Army.
Read more:
hizbuttahrir
Reader Comments (24)
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I suspect this man had links with some other strong banned organization , to cover up the REAL STORY HUT name was used
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So he had links with HuT since 2008 and was only arrested in 2011? Waiting for all the pro-HUT commentators to remind us how it is not banned in the UK therefore whats the big deal…
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He should not have done that at all.
The chain of command has to be followed by all means, more particularly by the people who are more disciplined.
No one is allowed to abuse the authority.
May God give wisdom to such people who are adventurous in nature, despite being subordinate to their superiors.
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If he’s been doing it since 2008 then why was it covered up until now? Those who covered up his links, a crime according to charge sheet, until now are also criminals. When would they be tried?
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@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui:
President Zardari is the Commander-in-Chief of military. How many times have you seen this chain of command followed?
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@Umer:
I think it says he admitted . May be, and I am assuming the intelligence did not know about his earlier involvement and were tracking him. The question is is his arrest after may 2nd coincidence or by design
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@Umer:
u r trying to make mockery of whole system, Chill brother
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So this brigadier who was trying to incite a coup against elected government maybe sentence dto death. Yet Musharraf and the then DG ISI (Kayani) who actually DID overthrow an elected government are not subject to any such disciplinary action? Why is that?
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So what if he had links to HT? they’re a non violent pan-islamic political organisation working in over 50 countries worldwide, most of them Islamic. We’ve come to a time where speaking the truth serves you the death penalty – a crying shame.
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When the top brass doesnt understand the feelings of its subordinates and keeps on aligning itself with enemy states like America to allow killing its own soldiers. fights someone else’s war for the sake of American dollars.
People like Brig Ali raise their voice and are silenced through malicious and false allegations, even if he was in contact with Hizb ut tahrir, which is in fact not a militant organisation.
An easy scape goat but a dire warning to the Army top brass. Honour doesnt come from America but rather from your people and Allah swt.
These officers should be applauded rather than silenced.
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@Umer:
There could be multiple reasons. One that at first it might have been construed merely an ideological commonality rather than an action. Once he started working on involving other army officers as well as planting seeds for mutiny, this would become evident enough to pursue further. Secondly, as someone else mentioned that he might be tied to some other more detrimental group because truly HUT (based on their caliphate driven ideology alone) shouldn’t have anything to do with criticism of May-02 raid. Lastly, I have also heard that he had begun to question corruption in army itself (which might have accelerated the charge sheet formulation as expected). There is also a possibility that army might be looking for easy scapegoats after May 02 incident.
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as a fellow Pakistani i can say with surety that neither brigadier khan neither the army speaking whole truth.we’re a nation who don’t feel ashamed for lying and cheating.I don’t what,s truth but one thingi know as a Pakistani that both sides r lying . even if brigadier is guilty he’ll never admit as it’s not part of culture.and if he’s not guilty he’ll not be freed because some bigger fault to be cover to make brigadier khan a scapegoat.
sooner we start speaking truth to our people better it’ll be for Pakistan.
why we don’t feel ashamed when we lie so bluntly and then start defending it with full power.
God bless Pakistan and poor Pakistani nation
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Brigadier Ali Khan probablly a scape goat and seems the real story is different!!
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“The third charge against Brig Khan was that of trying to instigate a mutiny within the army by launching an attack on the GHQ.”
I think this was the main, and probably the only reason. Other charges, such as, trying to topple the civilian government are just smokescreen. He is charged by the military under court martial proceedings. The military does not care if the civilian government is toppled by a military coup. They have done it so many times and shall do it again if they have the opportunity to execute it successfully.
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This news would have no importance and authenticity unless the presence of OBL in Abbottabad is fully investigated and made public. It is the coverup that creates all the doubts and mis trust of the establishment.
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@Abdullah:
Hizb-ul-Tahrir is a non-militant organization just like National Socialism was – both have it its core fascistic ideologies and remain(ed) political till they gain(ed) sufficient numbers.
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That is why I say, there should 4 years bachelors at PMA so that these little learned officers could learn real deal of knowledge.
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@Raheel: Non violent? Are you kidding me? Inciting hatred and a need for ‘jihad’ is as violent as can get. Go back to your HuT drawing board and come up with better excuses. Shoo!
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Covering up the Truth with lies!
An amendment should be made in constitution for the officers who face court-Martial, that they can Appeal in Supreme court of pakistan!
People need to know the truth!
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The brigadier and four other officers were detained in 2011, soon after the May 2 incident in which US forces killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
His lawyer, retired Col Inam Rahim, said his client was detained for demanding that someone within the military be held accountable for the covert US raid in Abbottabad.
Brig Khan was due to retire on July 9, 2011, after completing his service in the Pakistan Army
SCAPE GOAT.
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If he’s facing the death penalty for trying to topple the government, why not start with the DG ISI, who went to London without permission to investigate charges against the president?
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About HuT, Well, no doubt they are the largest political party in the Muslim world and violence is not the way they have planned to bring about change. I have been in contact with them and their method to revival is open to all, it doesn’t include violence because its not the way of Holy Prophet SAW. Jihad they promote, is for the armed forces as its fard on them, and i have no doubts at that at all. Just go through QUran and Seerah, it needs no genius to understand!
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really, who should be be tried for treason?
those involved in killing of 30k muslims, 7 k muslim soldiers and thousands others, those involved in selling pak land to U,S, those handing over raymond davis back to U.S, those handing over hundreds of dr. afia’s to U.S, those enabling U.S to establish 52 acre base in islamabad, those compromising pakistan’s nukes, those selling kashmir
or
those who spoke against OBL operation of U.S ??
choice is yours!! n so is your future!!
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This report has been made by BBC’s Urdu service. The last time BBC made a damming report on Pakistan, no one believed it. Now, 180 degrees turn and started believing BBC. Strategic amnesia.
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