Punishments of military officers behind overthrowing Benazir Bhutto’s government upheld

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld the sentences of military officers involved in the conspiracy to overthrow the government of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

A hearing was held in the Supreme Court against the punishment of the officers involved in the conspiracy to overthrow Benazir Bhutto’s government.

Supreme Court judge Muneeb Akhtar read out the reserved judgment on February 15.

The court dismissed the appeals against the sentences of Colonel (retd) Azad Minhas and Colonel (retd) Inayatullah.

It should be noted that after the petitions were rejected by the Lahore High Court, the petitioners approached the Supreme Court in 2016.

A Field Court Martial had sentenced Azad Minhas to two years, Inayatullah to four years imprisonment with hard labor and dismissal from service. 

Both former army officers were prosecuted in 1995 for plotting to overthrow Benazir Bhutto’s government.

The two officers, alongside retired Maj Gen Zaheerul Islam Abbasi, now deceased, and Brig Mustansir Billah, were arrested on September 26, 1995 on charges of “plotting to storm a meeting of corps commanders scheduled to be held on September 30 that year at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi”.