Two retired officers of Pakistan Army Adil Farooq Raja and Haider Raza Mehdi have been convicted and sentenced for inciting sedition under the Army Act and violations of provisions of the Official Secrets Act. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed that these retired officers were convicted through a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for their actions, which included spreading hateful and false propaganda against the army through their vlogs.
The two retired officers had been targeting the military institution, especially its top leadership over the last two years through their vlogs. Their language was abhorring and repugnant and by disseminating false information while residing abroad, they sought to damage the trust that our people place in the armed forces. In this backdrop, the punishments awarded to retired officers were essential for upholding morale of the rank and file of the army. It also sends a loud and lucid message that any actions against the institution, harm to national security or promotion of foreign agendas will not go unpunished. It is also important to recognise that the Army provided multiple opportunities to retired officers to defend themselves, yet they chose not to do so. This underscores the importance of accountability within the Pakistan Army, which operates with complete transparency and efficacy. In recent months, we also saw dismissal of three senior officers, including a Lt Gen, for their failure to prevent the ransacking of military installations on May 9, which further illustrates army’s commitment to maintaining discipline. While army’s accountability system is robust, it is crucial to recognise that elements spreading venom against state institutions must face legal consequences. Such individuals under the garb of freedom of expression cannot be allowed to sow seeds of hatred, especially when their actions are directed towards damaging integrity of the armed forces and jeopardise national security. The rule of law must prevail to protect the nation’s integrity. And we are confident that necessary measures will be taken to bring back both convicted vloggers to the country so that they could serve their respective prison terms.
