Six Army officers sent on forced retirement over corruption charges

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army has sacked six senior officers over corruption charges, in what is being hailed as a bold move by the military days after Army Chief General Raheel Sharif called for uprooting corruption and across-the-board accountability.

According to sources in the military, the senior officers were forcefully retired after a long-running internal inquiry being conducted within the Army for over a year.

The sacked officers include one lieutenant-general, one major-general, three brigadiers and one colonel. The officers served in the Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan.

The top names in the list include former Inspector-General Frontier Corps (IG FC) Balochistan Lieutenant-General Obaidullah Khattak, and Major-General Ijaz Shahid.

Other senior names in the list of sacked officers include Brigadier Asad Shahzada, Brigadier Amir, Brigadier Saifullah and Colonel Haider.

According to sources, the senior officers have been stripped of their ranks, and perks and privileges they were entitled to. The officers will only continue receive their pensions and medical facilities.

There has been no official announcement as yet from the military in this regard.

The unprecedented move comes days after General Raheel Sharif said that the ongoing war against terrorism and extremism cannot bring enduring peace and stability until the menace of corruption is uprooted from the country.

Across the board accountability is necessary for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of Pakistan, said the Army chief on Tuesday, speaking during a visit to the Signal Regimental Centre in Kohat.

The "ongoing war against terrorism and extremism being fought with the backing of entire nation cannot bring enduring peace and stability unless the menace of corruption is not uprooted. Therefore, across the board accountability is necessary for the solidarity, integrity and prosperity of Pakistan.

"Pakistan Armed Forces will fully support every meaningful effort in that direction, which would ensure a better future for our next generations,” he had said.