Pakistan military officer linked to banned HuT secures early release

[Zarvan]

RAWALPINDI: Brigadier (retd) Ali Khan was released from Adiala jail after completing five years of rigorous imprisonment awarded by a military court for having links with a banned outfit Hizbut Tahrir, it has been learnt.

Ali Khan, who was arrested in 2011, faced charges of conspiring with four other officers and a British member of the Hizbut Tahrir to recruit officers to the group including the commander of army's 111 Brigade — which covers the capital and has been historically linked to the military coups.

The four other officer who were also convicted included Major Inayat Aziz, Major Iftikhar, Major Sohail Akbar and Major Jawad Baseer.

Major Sohail Akbar was awarded three years of (rigorous imprisonment) RI while Major Jawad Baseer was sentenced to two years RI, whereas Major Inayat Aziz and Major Iftikhar have been awarded one year six months RI each.

Ali Khan's family and few of his army colleagues had insisted he was innocent and had been targeted because of a falling out with senior officers and his political views — particularly his stance against the alliance with the US.

But one of the colleagues had said that Khan did meet with members of Hizbut Tahrir and tried to enlist other officers, though the colleague had played down the importance of the contacts.

At a meeting with other officers days after the May 2, 2011, raid by US commandos that killed Osama bin Laden, Khan had reportedly spoken out against the operation, which he and others on the forces considered a national humiliation.

Khan was arrested on May 5, 2011, and later presented himself as a "victim" of the Abbottabad raid.

Hizbut Tahrir, which is banned in Pakistan and several other Muslim countries, professes non-violence and is not connected to terrorist groups like the Pakistani Taliban or al Qaeda.

But the outfit makes no secret of its desire to penetrate the armies of Muslim countries, particularly Pakistan, and foment an "Islamic coup" to establish a global "caliphate."

http://www.dawn.com/news/1267817/hi...li-khan-released-from-prison-after-five-years

 

[!eon]

Hopefully sometime in future, a US official will write a book on Abbotabad drama, and would reveal who made how much for this drama in Pakistan.

 

[Apprentice]

Is our military leadership slave of the USA? Most HT boys I know believe that the entire Pakistani political and military leadership is slave of the West and killing Muslims on America's orders.

Is this true or false? If false how do we refute the allegation?

 

[FalconsForPeace]

Brigadier Ali Khan, a senior army officer who was court-martialled over links his suspected with a banned outfit, was released from Adiala Jail on Monday night.

Ex-Brig Ali Khan was awarded five years rigorous imprisonment by the Field General Court Marshal (FGCM) in 2012. He was also accused of being involved in a conspiracy to topple the government, trying to instigate a mutiny within the army and planning an attack on General Headquarters (GHQ).

The former official has been released less than four years after he was convicted, even though he was facing “serious allegations” which would lead to capital punishment if proven.

He was caught for ‘planning ground and air attacks on top military and civil leadership’ with the help of banned outfit Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT) in 2011 after the US raided Abbottabad, where Navy SEALs found and killed the most-wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden.

Since most of the charges levelled against him were not proved in the court-martial proceedings, he was sentenced to five years in prison and was scheduled to be released in August 2017. However, he got the benefit of a remission in his sentence and was released on June 27.

Ex-Brig Ali Khan’s co-accused have already served out their sentences
This relief was granted by the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on January 27, 2016, which is usually granted to convicts in the form of a reduction of their sentence on different occasions, including the two Eids and national holidays, while they are in custody during the course of an investigation and trial.

According to retired Brig Wasaf Khan Niazi, a former member of the army’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch, Ex-Brig Ali Khan had been in custody for over one year before he was convicted of being linked to the banned organisation, and the under the court’s order, the officer got some relief as his period of detention prior to the sentence was also included in the total imprisonment.

Earlier, Brig Ali had challenged the court-martial proceedings before the LHC in 2012. His case was heard by 14 different single-member benches at different times. Finally, the petition was dismissed and he was asked to face court-martial proceedings.

The investigation report of the military’s Special Investigation Branch claimed that Brig Ali, with the help of his military and civilian accomplices, wanted to attack a large gathering, such as a dinner for formation commanders hosted by the president, the prime minister and the army chief.

They also planned air strikes on corps commanders’ or formation commanders’ conferences. According to the investigation, between August 2008 and April 2011, ex-Brig Khan met a number of senior army officers. In these meetings, he expressed disappointment with the political and military leadership, proposing a “caliphate” in their place and referring to his intimate connections with the HuT.

Brig Ali was detained just days after US Navy SEALs found and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011, reviving disturbing questions about the ignorance or complicity within Pakistan’s powerful military.

The court martial proceedings against ex-Brigadier Ali Khan, Major Inayat Aziz, Maj Iftikhar, Maj Sohail Akbar and Maj Jawad Baseer, who were facing charges of having links with a banned outfit, were completed in August 2012 and all five were convicted.

Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) officially announced their conviction on August 3, 2012.

The FGCM awarded Major Sohail Akbar three years, Maj Jawad Baseer two years, and Major Inayat Aziz and Major Iftikhar one year and six months of rigorous imprisonment each.

Jail sources said that the other accused had already been released after the completion of their respective sentences.

In March 2013, the wife of the detained officer wrote a letter to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) alleging that her husband had been facing the ordeal simply because he had asked for a justification of the Abbottabad raid during a conference held at the GHQ on May 4, 2011.

She had claimed that Brig Ali Khan had suggested that he and the entire top brass surrender all their plots, agricultural land, perks and privileges availed from military service because they had all failed to deliver.

According to the letter, Brig Ali had retired from service on July 11, 2011, before the trial, but he had been tried as a serving brigadier on the basis of a backdated notification, purportedly issued by the defence ministry.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1267955/military-officer-linked-to-banned-hut-secures-early-release

 

[khail007]

I think he was victimise upon his irritating questions about Abbottabad incident in a high level meeting.

 

[Mav3rick]

This last bit is most interesting:

In March 2013, the wife of the detained officer wrote a letter to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) alleging that her husband had been facing the ordeal simply because he had asked for a justification of the Abbottabad raid during a conference held at the GHQ on May 4, 2011.

She had claimed that Brig Ali Khan had suggested that he and the entire top brass surrender all their plots, agricultural land, perks and privileges availed from military service because they had all failed to deliver.

According to the letter, Brig Ali had retired from service on July 11, 2011, before the trial, but he had been tried as a serving brigadier on the basis of a backdated notification, purportedly issued by the defence ministry.

As far as I remember, Brig Ali had quite openly stated to the then Army Chief Kiyani, that Abbatoabad Raid requires serious accountability within the Military as to how OBL was living there (if he was) and how come the US forces were allowed to come in so deep within Pakistan to conduct a covert operation and leave.

He was made an example of just because he refused to believe that OBL was living at Abbotabad and that the US Navy Seals had conducted a mission without express authorization of the Army chief.

 

[aamirzs]

He was released yesterday. Brigadier Ali Khan was the top army person who keeps an eye on everything and watches everything (political or otherwise) ... and army made decision on this. He knows things even top army personal did not know.

 

[Challanger]

Was he in ISI or MI too??

 

[war&peace]

He was released yesterday. Brigadier Ali Khan was the top army person who keeps an eye on everything and watches everything (political or otherwise) ... and army made decision on this. He knows things even top army personal did not know.

Your comment does not make sense. What do you want say?
A brigadier is a senior post but not that senior to know everything. Maj. Gen, Lt. Gen are seniors and know much more than a brig.

 

[shah1398]

He was released yesterday. Brigadier Ali Khan was the top army person who keeps an eye on everything and watches everything (political or otherwise) ... and army made decision on this. He knows things even top army personal did not know.

As a matter of fact back in 2011 i had to stay in CMH Rwp for quite sometime and got a chance to interact with quite many people and few of those were a team of doctors who had examined Brig Ali just recently. They were discussing him among themselves informally when i heard the first hand account of him in detail. He had to be referred to a Psychiatrist due to his unusual behavior and had started behaving quite abnormally at Home, even quite well just before his conviction. Long story short, the guy had gone delusional due to some reasons and bcz of that he took some steps which were unbecoming of an Officer. For that FGCM of him was carried out.

 

[Kompromat]

He was under civilian authorities, it will be interesting to see who secured his early release and why?

 

[Vapnope]

He was under civilian authorities, it will be interesting to see who secured his early release and why?

he was sentenced by military courts by military men, who come he was under civilian authorities?

 

[Kompromat]

Adiala is civilian run facility. They are usually handed over to Police after sentencing etc

he was sentenced by military courts by military men, who come he was under civilian authorities?

 

[macnurv]

He was released yesterday. Brigadier Ali Khan was the top army person who keeps an eye on everything and watches everything (political or otherwise) ... and army made decision on this. He knows things even top army personal did not know.

So are you trying to say a Brigadier was far more aware of everyone than rest of ISI and Army high command. You seriously have no idea how the army works, now do you?

As for his early release, if it had been done within the gambit of law not much can be said about him. But for all his delusional tendencies I hope he is being kept under surveillance and limiting his movements.

 

[Christopher]

He is a free man today
What is his future . . . ?
Won"t he be a more radical . . . NOW?