Investigation against army officers in final stage: govt

By Mohammad Kamran

ISLAMABAD: The government has filed a reply in the Supreme Court regarding the detention of six army officers, saying investigations against the detainees were in their final stage and their trial would start soon under army law.

The Supreme Court had ordered the government on October 18, 2004 to explain why the six army officers had been detained after their families challenged the detention in court. The government’s filed its statement on November 4, saying the officers’ fundamental rights had not been violated.

The government said the detained officers were arrested for their involvement in offences under the Pakistan Army Act 1952 and the accused were aware of their offence.

The six serving army officers - Col Khalid Mahmood Abbasi (GHQ), Lt Col Abdul Ghafar Khan (Headquarters Army Aviation Command), Maj Adil Quddus (GHQ), Maj Muhammad Rohail Faraz (2 Corps), Maj Attaullah Khan Mahmood (2 Corps) and Capt Dr Usman Zafar (Mujahid Battalion) - were taken into state custody on different dates during the last 20 months.

Yasmeen Khalid, wife of Col Khalid, Abida Perveen, wife of Lt Col Abdul Ghafar, Mumtaz Attaullah, wife of Maj Attaullah, Farina Rohail, wife of Maj Rohail Faraz, Khadija Adil, wife of Maj Adil Quddus, and Farzana Tasneem, mother of Capt Dr Usman Zafar, filed separate petitions seeking the release of their family members.

The government said the petitions of the detainees’ families were not maintainable since the detainees were serving army officers and were arrested under relevant laws applicable to the armed forces.

The government also said the grievances made in the petitions related to procedural matters for which remedies were available to the aggrieved officers by way of representation under the Pakistan Army Act 1952.

These officers were not being dealt with under any other law or by any other agency or authority whatsoever, the government added.

The government through the Interior and Defence Ministries and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general were made respondents in the petitions.

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