ISLAMABAD: The family of an army veteran has made an appeal to military and judicial authorities, seeking justice for their son Hasan Askree, a civilian who was court martialed after for writing a critical letter to former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Hasan Askree was picked up from his home in Oct 2020 and transferred to military custody. He was convicted and sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment following an FGCM trial, although neither he nor his family members have received a copy of the charges or verdict, despite repeated requests.
Addressing a press conference the other day, first time ever in public since the incident of their son’s conviction by military court took place,Hasan’s father, Maj-Gen Zaffar Askree said he had been seeking a short meeting with military authorities for two and a half years and had written more than two dozen letters. However, he said, there has been no response or communication of any kind to date.
He claimed that his son’s reported letters to the former chief of army staff and his senior generals, in which he expressed concern over the potential effects of military choices on Pakistan’s political and economic circumstances, were the cause of this ordeal.
Hasan’s father said that the FIR filed against his son did not contain any provisions of the Pakistan Army Act but instead made reference to an offence under Section 131 of the Pakistan Criminal Code (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty).
Hasan’s family claimed that the court martialing of a civilian for allegedly seeking to seduce military personnel was a severe injustice that made a mockery of the crime of mutiny and insubordination.
They maintained that the letter did not inspire violence or any other negative feelings towards the government; rather, it simply conveyed the worries of a patriotic citizen who had no affiliations with any organisations or political parties.
Despite this, a magistrate sent his son to military custody without giving him a chance to defend himself. He was also kept in solitary confinement for months without a charge or access to legal counsel, and he was only allowed to contact his family after being charged.
Zehra, Hasan’s sister, told reporters that neither his lawyer nor family were ever informed of the ruling.
