Retired General’s son gets 5-year jail term for criticising extension given to Pakistan Army Chief Bajwa

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A military court in Pakistan has convicted the son of a retired major general’s son and sentenced him to five years in prison for writing a letter criticising the extension given to Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and asking for his resignation, according to a report by BBC Urdu Service.</p>
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The major general’s son Hassan Askari, a computer engineer by profession,  was held guilty under Section 131 of  Pakistan Penal Code which relates to “inciting army officers to treason.”</p>
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The FIR charged Askari of criticising the army's top command and senior officers to spread anarchy in the army at the behest of external enemies.</p>
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The BBC story has cited the petition of Askari's father Maj Gen (Rtd) Zafar Mehdi Askari filed in the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench which states that Hassan Askari was convicted under Section 131 of Pakistan Penal Code for criticising Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa's extension in a letter to him, by the Field General Court Martial in Gujranwala Cantt.</p>
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The trial was conducted in July and Hassan Askari was subsequently shifted to the high security prison in Sahiwal.</p>
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The father's petition says he is finding it difficult to meet his son at the Sahiwal Jail claiming they have only been able to meet him only once.</p>
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He had sought help from the Federal Ministry of Human Rights in shifting Askari to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail as his parents were old and sick, especially his mother who requires dialysis thrice a week.</p>
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According to Gen Mehdi Askari, the Prisons Department was also requested to help in transferring the prisoner to Adiala Jail but they did not respond to the request.</p>
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The Rawalpindi Bench has issued notices to Field General Court Martial and other relevant officers.</p>
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Earlier in Jan, 2021, the case was heard by the Islamabad High Court which directed holding the treason trial in camera. The question as to whether a civilian can be tried by the military court was referred by the Islamabad High Court to be adjudicated by the military authorities.</p>
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