Serving and former Pakistani military officers face court martial

Two Pakistan army officers and two former military personnel, currently being tried by a military court on charges of spying and alleged terror links, have been accused of being members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

Col Shahid Bashir, another unnamed colonel, Nadeem Ahmad Shah, a former air force pilot who is now an advocate, and Awais Ali Khan, an engineer who served with the military's Air Weapons Complex, are being tried by a court-martial at Kotli in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

BBC Urdu reported today that all four men have been accused by military authorities of being members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which was proscribed by former dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2004 but the ban on it was lifted following a legal challenge in the Lahore High Court.

The accused have denied the charges and also challenged their trial by a military court. The men could be sentenced to death if the charges against them are proved.

The four men have been accused of spying and planning a terrorist attack on Shamsi airbase in Balochistan province.

They have also been accused of providing secret information on military installations to Hizb-ut-Tahrir and inciting other military personnel to carry out terror attacks. Chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas said he was not aware of the trial.