Six PAF men face death, 51 jailed for contacts with terrorists
Thursday, June 25, 2009
ISLAMABAD: Fifty-seven men of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) ranging from chief technicians to officers were arrested over their alleged contacts with terrorists and involvement in anti-state activities. According to reports, the arrests were made during the last one and a half to two years after conducting an inquiry.
Sources disclosed that six officials were sentenced to death. Among them were Khalid Mehmood, Senior Technician Karam Din, Technician Nawazish, Niaz and Nasrullah while 24 were arrested and dismissed from service for opposing the policies of then President Pervez Musharraf. The PAF men, allegedly found involved in having contacts with terrorists, were given strict punishments.
According to a private television channel, 26 PAF men were court martialled for their ‘involvement’ in terrorism. According to the reports, those arrested were working in airbases including Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra, Minhas Airbase, Sargodha Airbase, Lahore Airbase, Faisal Airbase and Mianwali Airbase.
Senior Tech Liaqat Ali, whose service tenure was 17 years 15 days and commissioned at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra, was sentenced to three years in jail. Jahangir Khan, working as senior tech at Lahore Airbase, was imprisoned for two years.
Senior tech Muhammad Idrees arrested from Sargodha Airbase and whose service tenure was 11 years and 3 months was sentenced to nine years in jail with five years rigorous imprisonment.
These arrested officials had allegedly established contacts with Baitullah Mehsud and other banned outfits of the country.Spokesperson for the PAF Air Commodore Humayun Waqar said that action was taken against the PAF men according to law and arrests were made in Musharraf’s time. He said no new arrests have been made adding that several cases have already been decided.
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