Extension of stay on death sentence of five ex-Navy officers

The Islamabad High Court on Monday extended the order to stay the death sentence of five former Pakistan Navy officers.

These officers were sentenced to death for the attack on Karachi Dockyard in 2014.

Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court heard the petition of the ex-Navy officers who were sentenced to death. Justice Babar Sattar said during the hearing that ‘reasons are not being given as to why the death penalty was given. Explaining why the death penalty was given is not a secret issue, the only question before me is why the death penalty was given, the reasons should be given.’

Justice Babar Sattar had stayed the execution of the death sentence in the last hearing and sought a response from the Pakistan Navy. In today’s hearing, the order to stay the execution of the death sentence has been extended till the next hearing.

On the last hearing, the court had issued instructions to submit the position of the Chief of Naval Staff with reasons in a sealed envelope to the court and said that it should be told why the Chief of Naval Staff’s access to the documents seems to be against the interests of the state. The report submitted by the Pakistan Navy in the Islamabad High Court stated that ‘the proceedings of the court martial cannot be shared.’

Justice Babar Sattar asked the representative Pakistan Navy Commander Hamid Hayat that ‘do you want me to decide?’ Commander Hamid Hayat asked the court for time to take instructions, the court granted the request to take instructions and adjourned the hearing.

Five accused of the attack in 2014 were sentenced to death by the Field General Court Martial in 2016. The court raised reservations in the written judgment of the last hearing that ‘the question is how to balance the interest of the state with the right to life of a citizen, Article 9 and 10A of the Constitution provide citizens with the right to life and the right to a fair trial. do.’

Context

Among the accused were former lieutenant Arsalan Nazir Sati, former lieutenant Muhammad Hammad, former lieutenant Hammad Ahmad Khan, sub-lieutenant Irfanullah and sailor Tahir Rashid.

The lawyer of the accused, Colonel Retired Inam-ul-Rahim, told media representatives after the hearing that ‘he has not found the record related to the crime, trial and punishment in this case till date.’

He further informed that five Pakistan Navy officers were arrested for planning the attack on PNS Zulfiqar. He was tried before the Naval Judge Adjutant General Branch and sentenced to death in 2016.

The former officers of Pakistan Navy have filed appeals in the Islamabad High Court against the decision of the Field General Court Martial.

The plea contended that ‘the accused were not even shared the evidence and the documents of the Court of Inquiry, without access to these documents an appeal was filed against the death sentence which was rejected.’

Navy Dockyard Attack

On September 6, 2014, in the attack on the Navy Dockyard located on the coast of Karachi, a Navy officer was killed in a six-hour exchange of fire between Navy personnel while three attackers were also killed. Apart from this, six personnel including a Navy officer were injured.

After this incident, the then Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also gave this statement in the Parliament, in which he said that ‘Navy personnel are also involved in the attack on the Navy Dockyard in Karachi, who are being investigated.’

Naval warships and submarines are repaired at the Navy Dockyard.

Media reports at the time said that the attackers wanted to hijack the warship PNS Zulfikar and target an American refueling vessel. But the security personnel foiled their attempt.