Pakistan's ex-military chief, ex-spymaster receive notices to appear in court

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - A Pakistani court has issued notices to former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, ex-intelligence chief Faiz Hamid and two journalists to appear for allegedly flouting the Official Secrets Act.

Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the notices Monday.

The petitioner, Atif Ali, a resident of Rawalpindi, a garrison city adjacent to the national capital of Islamabad, requested the court to order relevant authorities to register cases against the former army generals and journalists who disclosed sensitive information.

"The petitioner contended that the interview of ex-Gen Bajwa was conducted in a ‘reckless’ manner and the journalists, Javed Chaudhry and Shahid Maitla, did not show any sense of responsibility in publishing them. The petition claimed the revelations made in the interview(s) were a violation of the Official Secrets Act and tantamount to inciting mutiny and disharmony," the Dawn newspaper reported.

Following his ouster from power in April 2022 through a vote of no confidence in parliament, former Prime Minister Imran Khan blamed Washington and his then-army chief Bajwa for the collapse of his coalition government.

Washington and Bajwa repeatedly denied the accusation.

The petition alleged that the officials shared information with journalists soon after retirement, distorting facts and violating the country's laws.

Bajwa responded to Khan’s allegations in interviews.

Khan is currently in jail in a "cipher case," which is related to a diplomatic document that reportedly went missing from his possession, registered under the Official Secrets Act.