Former Pakistan Army Lt. General Javed Iqbal, sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment by a military court for spying and providing sensitive information to foreign intelligence agencies, has been released from Adiala Jail after completing his sentence after two and a half years.
In May 2019, former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed the rigorous imprisonment awarded to Lt Gen Javed Iqbal within two and a half years.
Adiala Jail authorities told the BBC that Lt Gen (retd) Javed Iqbal was released after completing his sentence and all legal requirements.
The Department of Public Relations has yet to issue a statement.
According to Adiala Jail authorities, according to the documents provided to him, Javed Iqbal had filed appeals in the military court against the 14-year rigorous imprisonment.
According to Adiala’s jail authorities, his sentence was reduced from 14 years to seven years on the first appeal against the sentence. In the second appeal, his sentence was reduced by another three years, due to which his sentence was reduced from 14 years to only four years.
According to jail officials, he was also released from prison due to better conduct in the remaining time and finally, he was released after completion of the sentence.
According to jail officials, he was released after completing his sentence following the jail manual in the case.
In May 2019, a press release issued by the Pakistan Army’s Public Relations Department said that the (then) Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had confirmed the imprisonment and death sentences given to two soldiers and a civil officer, including former Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal, after being found guilty of espionage.
According to the ISPR, the convicted officers included retired Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal, a former Brigadier Raja Rizwan and civil officer Waseem Akram. These officers were involved in providing sensitive information to foreign intelligence agencies and were found guilty of espionage, after which they were punished.
Others — former Brigadier Raja Rizwan and Dr. Waseem Akram, posted as engineers in a sensitive institution — were sentenced to death. The two officers are currently completing their sentences.
Lt Gen (retd) Javed Iqbal was part of the army when General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was the army chief. He commanded the Triple One Brigade as a Brigadier during his military career.
He also held a very important post, like Director General of Military Operations. The planning of military operations across the country is the responsibility of the same army directorate.
He commanded the Bahawalpur Corps as Lieutenant General while he was posted as Adjutant General in staff appointments. The same army department is responsible for maintaining discipline and accountability in the army and determines the punishment in accordance with military laws in case of any violation.
Former Brigadier Raja Rizwan, who was sentenced to death along with Javed Iqbal, has been posted as Pakistan’s defense attaché in Germany.
Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan Ali Haider had gone missing from the G-10 area of Islamabad on October 10, 2018, and his family had also approached the Islamabad High Court in this regard.
