Judge Advocate General Branch (Pakistan)
The Judge Advocate General Branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces is composed of Pakistan's Military senior officers, lawyers and judges who provide legal services to the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines at all levels of command. JAG branch comes directly under the Law Directorate of the army.[1] The Judge Advocate General's Legal Service includes judge advocates, warrant officers, paralegal noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted personnel, and civilian employees.[2] In Pakistan, the Judge Advocate General can have the rank of Lieutenant-General, Major or Brigadier-General. The JAG is currently led by the combined Pakistan Armed Forces's senior-rank officers that includes the Vice Admirals of the Navy, Air Marshals of the Air Force, and the Lieutenant-Generals of the Army whose names are kept highly classified.
The JAG officers provide legal help to the military in all aspects, in particular advising the presiding officers of courts-martial on military law. According to the military justice law of Pakistan Armed Forces, the JAG's ruled decision cannot be challenged in civilian courts nor the civilian court can interfere in JAG' court hearing.[3] [4] Recently, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani ordered an inquiry into an Internet video that shows men in military uniforms executing six young men in civilian clothes. According to the ISPR, the military public organization, the Pakistan Army's JAG Branch's lawyers and investigators will be leading the investigation, and the investigation will be headed by a Major General, a two-star general officer of Pakistan Army.[5] In 2010, after the successful outcomes of Operation Janbaz, and the captured terrorists are currently prosecuted in a military court, headed by one star rank Brigadier.[6]
Court-martialed officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces
- Pilot officer Anwar Peerzada - Pakistan Air Force
- Major-General Zahirul Islam Abbasi - Pakistan Army
- Major-General Tajammul Hussain Malik - Pakistan Army
- Lieutenant-Colonel Raja Nadir Pervez - Pakistan Army
- Colonel Shahid Bashir - Pakistan Army
- Squadron Leader Nadeem Ahmad Shah- Pakistan Air Force
See also
- Judge advocate general
- General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq - notable JAG judge who headed numerous court-martials of Pakistani army officers
Notes
- Cheema, Umar (June 8, 2010). "Lal Masjid commandos seek Supreme Court's intervention:Denied copies of court martial proceedings; ISPR declines comments". The News International. Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory: Jang Group of Newspapers.
- Shah, Waseem Ahmad (February 4, 2009). "Peshawar: PHC puts Judge Advocate General Branch (JAG) on notice in spying case". The Dawn News. Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province: Dawn News Group. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- "Axed Pakistan Army commando opposed to 'Lal Masjid' operation still denied justice".
- "Civilian Courts cannot interfere in Military Courts decisions:Supreme Court of Pakistan" (in Urdu). Jang Group. July 17, 2010. pp. 3–4. Archived from the original on July 20, 2010.
- "COAS orders to check veracity of officials video footage | The Nation". www.nation.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2012-01-31.
- "GHQ Attack: The case of 7 culprits is being heard in a military court of Pakistan Defence Forces". Jang News Group (in Urdu). Islamabad: Group Media of Jang news. 2011. pp. 3/4. Archived from the original on 2011-02-25.