A military court has convicted the son of a retired major general of the Pakistan Army to a five year prison term for trying to incite anarchy in the army. He wrote a letter questioning the extension given to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and demanded his resignation, reported BBC Urdu.
BBC reports that Hassan Askari, son of Maj Gen (R) Zafar Mehdi Askari, a computer engineer by profession, was convicted under Section 131 of Pakistan Penal Code for criticising Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension in a letter to him. The conviction was served by the Field General Court Martial in Gujranwala Cantt.
Askari was defended by a military officer deputed by the military court. The trial was conducted in July and he was shifted to the high-security prison in Sahiwal.
Section 131 of the Pakistan Penal Code covers inciting army officers to treason. The First Investigation Report (FIR) charges Askari of criticising the army’s top command and senior officers to spread anarchy in the army at the behest of external enemies, reports BBC.