Officers convicted of espionage handed over to civil jail authorities: ISPR

Convicts remained under military custody throughout their respective trial, says DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Two senior military officers and a civilian doctor associated with a ‘sensitive organisation’ – who were sentenced by military courts on espionage charges – have been handed over to jail authorities, according to the chief military spokesperson.

“Three officers sentenced on 30 May 2019 have been handed over to civil jail authorities,” DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet on the microblogging site.

“Earlier, [the] convicts had been immediately arrested upon intelligence about their involvement and remained under military custody throughout their respective trial,” he further wrote.

Three officers sentenced on 30 May 2019 have been handed over to civil jail authorities. Earlier, convicted had been immediately arrested upon intelligence about their involvement and remained under military custody throughout their respective trial.

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) June 1, 2019

Rumour-mongers have deliberately been spreading rumours that these officers have gone abroad.

On Thursday, the ISPR said in a statement that army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had endorsed the punishment to the three officers on the charges of “espionage and leaking of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudice to national security”.

The officers — identified by the military’s media wing as Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Iqbal, Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan and Doctor Wasim Akram — were tried under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act by separate Field General Court Martial in separate cases.

Lt Gen (retd) Iqbal has been awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment, while Brigadier (retd) Rizwan has been handed down the death sentence. Doctor Akram, who, according to the ISPR, was employed at a sensitive organisation, has also been awarded the death penalty.

Individuals, both in uniform and civilian government positions, are under obligation not to pass on secret information under the Official Secrets Act. Violation of the act is punishable by death or life imprisonment.