The government has filed a reply in the
Supreme Court regarding the detention of six army officers,
saying investigations against the detainees were in their
final stage and their trial would start soon under army
law.
The Supreme Court had ordered the government
on October 18, 2004 to explain why the six army officers
had been detained after their families challenged the
detention in court. The government’s filed its statement
on November 4, saying the officers’ fundamental
rights had not been violated.
The government said the detained officers
were arrested for their involvement in offences under
the Pakistan Army Act 1952 and the accused were aware
of their offence.
The six serving army officers - Col Khalid
Mahmood Abbasi (GHQ), Lt Col Abdul Ghafar Khan (Headquarters
Army Aviation Command), Maj Adil Quddus (GHQ), Maj Muhammad
Rohail Faraz (2 Corps), Maj Attaullah Khan Mahmood (2
Corps) and Capt Dr Usman Zafar (Mujahid Battalion) - were
taken into state custody on different dates during the
last 20 months.
Yasmeen Khalid, wife of Col Khalid, Abida
Perveen, wife of Lt Col Abdul Ghafar, Mumtaz Attaullah,
wife of Maj Attaullah, Farina Rohail, wife of Maj Rohail
Faraz, Khadija Adil, wife of Maj Adil Quddus, and Farzana
Tasneem, mother of Capt Dr Usman Zafar, filed separate
petitions seeking the release of their family members.
The government said the petitions of the
detainees’ families were not maintainable since
the detainees were serving army officers and were arrested
under relevant laws applicable to the armed forces.
The government also said the grievances
made in the petitions related to procedural matters for
which remedies were available to the aggrieved officers
by way of representation under the Pakistan Army Act 1952.
These officers were not being dealt with
under any other law or by any other agency or authority
whatsoever, the government added.
The government through the Interior and
Defence Ministries and the Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI) director general were made respondents in the petitions.
