Two former army commanders are sentenced by a Pakistani military court for espionage

 Two former army commanders are sentenced by a Pakistani military court for espionage

In their absence, two people who are critical of the top army leadership were sentenced: Major (retd) Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (retd) Haider Raza Mehdi. Both men are foreign-born.

"In their absence, Major (retd) Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (retd) Haider Raza Mehdi, who are residents of another country and have criticisms of the top army leadership, were convicted.

He was "convicted and sentenced during a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) by the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 on charges of promoting sedition among army personnel," according to a statement from the army.

It claimed that in addition to acting against the security and interests of the state, he had also broken the espionage-related sections of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

Captain Mehdi received a 12-year term of harsh imprisonment, while Major Raja received a 14-year sentence.

Since Raja and Mehdi are stationed outside of Pakistan, it is unlikely that they would be punished, according to the Dawn daily.

The conviction may have been influenced by the events of May 9, which included assaults on important military sites and widespread unrest after the detention of Imran Khan, the former prime minister and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

On YouTube, Raja and Mehdi are vloggers. Prominent for his pro-PTI views, Raja relocated to London last year after he was reported "missing" from Islamabad.

Four persons, including Raja and Mehdi, were arrested by Islamabad's Ramna police station in June of this year for allegedly instigating the crowd during the violent demonstrations on May 9.

The statement said that on October 7 and October 9, 2023, a court of competent jurisdiction found both people guilty and rendered an appropriate judgment. It further stated that on November 21, the ranks of both officers were forfeited. Was.

Notwithstanding many summonses, none of the former cops showed up for the hearing.

Following Khan's arrest in an alleged corruption case, the Pakistani government had said that individuals engaged in the May 9 strikes on key sites would stand trial in special military tribunals.

Pakistan's strong military, which has dominated the nation for over half its history, has its own legal system and tribunals, and military personnel who are suspected of misconduct are always prosecuted in secret.