ISLAMABAD – Four officials from Ministry of Defence have been sentenced to prison for allegedly sharing sensitive state secrets with a Russian agent.
A report shared by BBC Urdu revealed high-profile case, exposing vulnerabilities within the nation’s most guarded institutions. Two of the accused walked free, but for the four convicted, years behind bars await in what is said to be one of the most key espionage verdicts in recent times.
As per available information, Islamabad court jailed four defence officials for leaking sensitive information to a foreign ‘agent’. The court handed down a 10-year prison sentence to Safdar Rehman, while Tanzeel ur Rehman, Muhammad Waqar, and Muhammad Tahir were each sentenced to five years behind bars.
The accused, mostly civilians linked to the Ministry of Defence, were found guilty under Pakistan’s Official Secrets Act of sharing information with a suspected foreign operative. The court ruled that their actions posed a direct threat to national security. Two other individuals walked free, with the court noting that they had never even met the alleged foreign agent or transmitted classified material.
Prosecutors revealed that the case was registered in 2021, and involves allegations of contact with Russian diplomat acting as an intelligence intermediary. Although the defendants had been on bail since 2022, the final verdict has now brought the long-running investigation to a dramatic close.
The scandal also touched higher ranks, as investigators identified military officials as part of high level probe. However, he successfully challenged his inclusion in the case at the Islamabad High Court, securing relief.
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