A military court in Pakistan has found a Brigadier-rank officer and a Lt. General guilty of espionage, sentencing one to death and handing 14 years of “rigorous imprisonment” to the other.
The army’s media wing, ISPR, while making the announcement Thursday said a civilian officer “employed at sensitive organization” also was given the death sentence on similar charges.
“General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) endorsed punishment for two army and one civil officer on the charges of espionage/leakage of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudiced to the national security,” the statement said.
ISPR noted the officers were tried by a separate “field general court marshal” for separate cases. It did not give further details or name the countries with which the convicts allegedly were dealing.
The statement identified the army officers as Lt. General Javed Iqbal and (Retired) Brigadier Raja Rizwan, while the civilian man is named as Dr. Wasim Akram.
Army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor revealed for the first time in February that the military had initiated court-martial proceedings against two senior officers on charges of espionage.
