ISLAMABAD: The army on Thursday hinted at a military trial for former prime minister Imran Khan, warning that using military personnel for personal or political gains invites legal action.
“Under military law, anyone who uses individuals subject to the Army Act for personal or political gain and evidence of such actions exists, will be subject to the law taking its course,” military spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated during a media briefing at the Inter-Services Public Relations office located in the General Headquarters.
In response to a query about the potential military trial for Imran Khan, the general attempted to sidestep the question by stating that the matter was sub judice and the question by the journalist was hypothetical. However, he simultaneously outlined the conditions under which a civilian could be tried under military law.
The spokesman’s statement appeared to be referencing Section 2(d)(i) of the Army Act, which extends the act’s purview to civilians who attempt to compromise the duty or allegiance of military personnel to the government. The Army Act, which regulates the conduct and responsibilities of military personnel, also establishes the framework for military trials and outlines the offences and procedures relevant to service personnel.
Though Mr Khan’s military trial had long been speculated, rumours gained traction after he sought intervention from the Islamabad High Court to preempt a possible court martial.
Imran Khan’s plea was prompted by concerns that he might be implicated in the May 9 violence, for which FIRs were filed against him in Rawalpindi. His anxieties were heightened by the arrest and speculation that former spy chief Faiz Hameed might turn an approver against him. These fears seemed to be substantiated by a statement from the federal government’s legal affairs spokesman, suggesting that Mr Khan could be tried under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952.
Gen Chaudhry, in response to a separate question, recalled an earlier ISPR statement on retired Gen Hameed’s arrest, highlighting allegations that the former intelligence chief had contravened the Constitution and laws to advance the interests of certain political elements for personal gains.
When asked about the roles of former ISI chief Naveed Mukhtar and former army chief Qamar Bajwa in the elevation of Gen Hameed and his subsequent appointment as the spy chief, the spokesman passed the onus on to the then-prime minister, saying the ISI director general’s “boss is the prime minister”. His assertion implied that Imran Khan got him appointed to that position. He also cautioned against associating other officers with him without evidence.
The ISPR chief said, “In an expression of confidence in the army’s accountability system, the matter was referred to the army through the Ministry of Defence.”
A ‘court of inquiry’, he said, was commissioned in April this year, and in view of the “solid evidence” in the case, the Field General Court Martial was ordered.
“Court-martial proceedings have been initiated against the officer,” the spokesman said, adding that no timeframe could be given for the completion of the process. He further stressed that “anyone involved in this case will not evade the law’s reach.”
“The army is not opposed to any political party, nor does it support any,” he maintained, adding that the military kept a professional relationship with the government as laid down in the Constitution and the law.__Courtesy dawn.com
