Pak army confirms sacking of senior officers for corruption

Pakistan army has for the first time confirmed reports about the sacking of senior military officers over corruption, a rare move in the country where the military wields enormous power.

“These officers were dismissed, punished and sent home in a single related case,” Military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa told Dunya TV.

He said it took months to complete the investigation, which ended with the sacking. He claimed that action was part of army’s aggressive drive to end every kind of corruption in its ranks. He said as part of military discipline action like the sacking of officers are not made public anywhere in the world.

“This news was not made public but was leaked days after the action was taken,” he said. Bajwa said that a special branch of army deals with such cases and it reports to the army chief.

He did not give further details but it was reported earlier that a Lieutenant General, one Major General, five Brigadiers, three Colonels and one Major were dismissed on corruption charges. Pakistan army is a powerful institution and has ruled the country for more than half of its history since its founding in 1947.

Army’s move to dismiss officers assume significance in the wake of raging scandal in Pakistan over embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family offshore wealth after the Panama Papers leak mentioned his children’s name for having shell companies.

Sharif’s two sons and one daughter were mentioned in the Panama papers for offshore account and companies. Opposition leaders have demanded a probe into the scandal, with some demanding Sharif’s resignation.