ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on March 16 will take up appeals moved by convicted plotters under human rights provisions and Army Act in Zaheerul Islam Abbasiís known Islamic Coup of 1995 to overthrow the government of late PPP Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto by establishing a Caliphate system.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, will take up the identical pleas moved against decision of Field General Court Martial (FGCM) of October 30, 1996.
According to details, three major accused in the plot included Maj Gen Zaheerul Islam Abbasi, the Tableeghi Jamaat faujis and Qari Saifullah Akhtar.
The FGCM was constituted at Attock and the suspects were charged under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 and Pakistan Penal Code for ìconduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, conspiring to wage war against Pakistan and attempting to seduce any person from his allegiance to the government.
A total of 40 army officers, including one major general, one brigadier and five colonels, besides 10 other civilians had been rounded up.
According to media reports, the plotters were found guilty of attacking Corps Commanders Conference to be held at GHQ on September 30 and assassinating the army high command including the Army Chief, nine Corps Commanders and four PSOs (Principal Staff Officers). The plan allegedly included killing the then presidentFarooq Leghari, prime minister Benazir Bhutto and some cabinet members including then federal minister of environment and industries and Asif Ali Zardari.
After investigations were completed, the FGCM started its proceedings on December 31, 1995, and the sentences were announced on October 30, 1996.
The four main accused were charged and sentences were handed over to Maj Gen Zaheerul Islam Abbasi, 7 years of rigorous imprisonment; Brigadier Mustansar Billah, 14 years, Col Inayatullah Khan, 4 years, and Col Muhammad Azad Minhas 2 years imprisonment.
Abbasiís wife had
filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging her husband’s trial and deeming it a violation of his fundamental rights (Mrs. Shahida Zaheer Abbasi Vs President of Pakistan (reported as PLD 1996 S.C. 632).
She was joined by two others and the Supreme Court on January 28, 1996, issued a notice to the Army Chief to appear before the court and present his point of view on the date of the next hearing, February 4.
But on the next day, the Supreme Court, issued a clarification that it had not summoned the Army Chief.
