Army Court Martial's Retired Colonel For Inciting Sedition

Lt Col (retired) Akbar Hussain was sentenced to 14 years in prison and follows similar convictions of two former junior officers

Army Court Martial's Retired Colonel For Inciting Sedition

A retired senior official of the army has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military tribunal for inciting sedition among army personnel from the discharge of their duties.

The military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a release on Tuesday, said that Lt Col Akbar Hussain, a retired officer of the Pakistan Army, was accused of inciting sedition among army personnel from the discharge of their duties.

Lt Col Hussain was subjected to a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. A court of competent jurisdiction adjudged him 'guilty' of the offence through due judicial process and awarded the punishment of 14 years of rigorous imprisonment on May 10, 2024.

After he was sentenced, his rank was forfeited on July 26, 2024.

Previously, former Major (Retired) Adil Farooq Raja and former Captain (Retired) Haider Raza Mehdi were also convicted and sentenced through FGCM under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, on the charges of inciting sedition among army personnel from discharge of duties and violation of the provisions of Official Secrets Act, 1923, related to espionage and acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state.

The court of competent jurisdiction convicted and adjudged Raja and Mehdi on October 7 and October 9, 2023, respectively, through due judicial process. They were sentenced to 14 and 12 years of rigorous imprisonment, respectively, while forfeiture of rank for the two officers was effected from November 21, 2023.