Ex-army officer sentenced to 14 years in prison for 'inciting sedition'

A retired army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Akbar Hussain, was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for inciting soldiers to abandon their duties, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The military's media wing said that a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) convicted the retired militaryman under the Pakistan Army Act of 1952.

He was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for provoking sedition among army personnel from the discharge of duties, the statement mentioned.

He was found guilty of the offences in accordance with the established legal procedure by the court of competent jurisdiction and granted 14 years of punishment on May 10, it added.

Following the announcement of sentence, the ISPR stated that the officer was stripped of his rank on July 26, 2024.

In the past, former military officers Major (retd) Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (retd) Haider Raza Mehdi were also found guilty and punished by FGCM.

They were charged with inciting unrest among army personnel from the discharge of duties and violating the Official Secrets Act by engaging in espionage and activities harmful to national security. 

The court of competent jurisdiction found Adil Raja and Raza Mehdi guilty on October 7 and 9, 2023, respectively. 

They were given fair trials and sentenced to 14 and 12 years in prison, respectively. Both were stripped of their military ranks on November 21, 2023.