ISLAMABAD: A representative of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that retired Air Marshal Javad Saeed, who was arrested last year, has been convicted on multiple charges, including sedition, and is currently being held at an officers’ mess rather than a conventional prison.
Javad Saeed was taken into custody in January 2024. Following his arrest, his wife filed a habeas corpus petition seeking his release. However, Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro dismissed the plea, imposing a fine of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner after PAF authorities revealed that Saeed had been court-martialed under the Official Secrets Act and sentenced accordingly.
The judge remarked that since Saeed’s whereabouts were known, the petition was inadmissible.
Last month, his wife filed a review petition challenging his dismissal and demanded his release from PAF custody. The petition also highlighted that following his arrest, Saeed’s pension was halted and family health services were suspended, although medical services for his wife were later reinstated.
During Monday’s hearing, a PAF official told the court that Saeed had been sentenced to 14 years after a court-martial, though the Air Chief commuted 10 years, leaving him to serve a remaining 4-year term. The officer added that instead of being placed in a regular jail, Saeed is being held in an officers’ mess, which has been declared a sub-jail in accordance with military procedures.
Colonel (R) Inam-ur-Rahim, counsel for the petitioner, argued that Saeed is being held in illegal custody and that, as a constitutional court, the IHC must declare such detention unlawful. He further contended that following sentencing, prisoners should be transferred to civil jails, not kept under the control of military authorities.
Rahim stated that Saeed had been a candidate for the post of Air Chief in 2021 but retired on March 18, 2021, after not being selected. He was arrested on January 1, 2024.
The lawyer argued that as a civilian, Saeed should not have been tried by a PAF tribunal and criticized the authorities for not sharing details of the court-martial proceedings, which has prevented the convicted officer from appealing his sentence.
The PAF official maintained that the officer’s detention is legal as the Air Chief had declared the officers’ mess a sub-jail.
In response, Rahim challenged the legality of this designation and reiterated that the confinement is unlawful.
The court directed the PAF to share all relevant case documents with the petitioner’s counsel and adjourned the hearing until April 29.
