ISLAMABAD:
A special court dedicated to hearing cases filed under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, has sentenced Islamabad Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Zahoor Ahmed to three years in prison for providing secret documents to a foreign envoy.
Zahoor Ahmed was immediately taken into custody from the courtroom after the special court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, pronounced him guilty.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against ASI Ahmed on December 13, 2021. He was accused of planning a meeting with a foreign diplomat and intending to hand over sensitive information and documents related to national security to a foreign agent.
ASI Zahoor Ahmed had been granted bail on January 22, 2022. However, upon being found guilty, the court ordered a three-year imprisonment for the offense.
The Official Secrets Act, 1923 aims to protect sensitive information pertaining to national security. It criminalizes the sharing of state secrets and any other classified information that could potentially harm the country’s interests.
Under this act, unauthorized access to, and communication of, sensitive information is punishable by law. This legislation is designed to safeguard national security and maintain confidentiality regarding the operations and activities of the state.
Violations of the Official Secrets Act are treated as serious offenses, and the law provides for stringent penalties, including imprisonment, to deter individuals from compromising national security.
The act applies to both government officials and civilians, ensuring that any breach of confidentiality is addressed with the full force of the law.
Last year, the PML-N led federal government formed a special court to hear cases filed under the act. The court then presided over by Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain convicted former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in January this year for misusing a classified diplomatic telegram. The judge was, however, discharged from assignment.
