IHC vacates stay on naval officers' execution

Court disposes of appeal for access to navy record

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) vacated the stay order against the death penalty for five former naval officers in the Dockyard attack case after disposing of their application seeking access to the inquiry report.

IHC Justice Babar Sattar heard the application of five former navy officers, Arsalan Nazir Satti, Muhammad Hammad, Muhammad Tahir Rashid, Hammad Ahmed and Irfanullah, who were sentenced to death in the Dockyard attack case, by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM).

Col (retd) Inamur Rahim Advocate, the lawyer for the petitioners informed the court during the hearing that access to the inquiry report and judgment had been given on the court order in the presence of a government lawyer. He said that the documents were shown and the notes had been taken.

The application was filed as the Pakistan Navy had declined to provide a copy of the Board of Inquiry report to the convicts, stating that it was a national security issue. On the previous hearing, the court had ordered for provision of access to the records related to the convicts to the extent possible.

The court had also stayed the execution of the petitioners until the relevant records were provided, which ended on Monday with the disposal of the petition. The FGCM had convicted the five former PN officers over the PNS Dockyard attack in 2014, which targeted vital naval assets.

The attackers had boarded a navy frigate in September 2014, where they were spotted triggering a gun battle with commandos of the Special Services Group (SSG). At least two terrorists were killed and four others were captured during a six-hour long firefight with the intruders.