The family of a retired army general, whose civilian son was court-martialed in 2021 and was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment over his letters critical of the military written to the then army chief and other top generals, has come forward with allegations that he was not given a free trial.
Retired major general Syed Zaffar Mehdi Askri held a press conference along with his wife Wasima and daughter Zehra, speaking of the family’s ordeal after their son Hasan Askari was picked up from their home in Islamabad on October 2, 2020, allegedly for writing letters to the army chief and top generals, criticising their role in the country’s economy and politics.
The family said Hasan Askari was immediately transferred to military custody, while adding that he was then “unjustly” tried in Field General Court Martial (FGCM) on charges related to mutiny. The family claimed that to this day they are unaware of the exact charges brought up against their son, while adding that the charges mentioned in a First Information Report (FIR) are related to mutiny but there is no mention of the Pakistan Army Act.
The family also raised objections over the way the trial was conducted, calling it unfair. They claimed their son was kept in solitary confinement, was not allowed a phone call, and was only told to lawyer up a week before his trial. The content of the letters that were deemed illegal was also not disclosed during the trial, the family claimed.
The family said that despite Islamabad High Court’s orders that their son’s fundamental rights are ensured, he is not granted visitation rights.
The family showed a Lahore High Court order during the press conference wherein the court had ordered his transfer from a high-security Sahiwal prison to Rawalpindi Adiala Jail within 14 days. However, it has been nine months since that order but it has not been implemented and their son remains in the high-security prison in Sahiwal, the family said.
They also questioned judicial authorities for not taking up the contempt of court case since the security authorities did not follow their prior order related to the transfer of Hasan Askar to Adiala Jail.
They questioned if the court cannot implement its own decision, how can justice be ensured for the people.
