–Gen Ghafoor says the said officers remained in custody during trial
Two senior army officers and a civilian, charged with espionage on May 30, have been handed over to civilian jail authorities, said a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“Three officers sentenced on 30 May 2019 have been handed over to civil jail authorities,” ISPR Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter.
He said the officers had been immediately arrested upon intelligence about their involvement in espionage. They remained under the military’s custody throughout their trials, the DG ISPR added.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had endorsed the sentences of the three officers.
According to the ISPR, the three men — Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Iqbal, Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan, and Dr Wasim Akram, an employee at a sensitive organisation — were convicted of espionage activities and leaking sensitive information to foreign spy agencies.
“The officers were tried under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and Official Secret Act by separate Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for separate cases,” the ISPR had said on Thursday.
According to the details handed out by the military’s media wing, Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Iqbal was awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment.
Brigadier (r) Raja Rizwan and Dr Wasim Akram were awarded death sentences.
