Islamabad High Court Lifts Stay on Death Sentence for 5 Former Navy Officers in Dockyard Attack Case

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court has lifted the stay order on the death sentences of five former Navy officers who were sentenced to death by a field general court martial for their involvement in the 2014 Navy dockyard attack in Karachi. The court had previously issued a stay order on June 4, 2024, halting the execution of the death sentences, but this was revoked after the hearing on the case.
The five former naval officers—Arsalan Nazir Satti, Mohammad Hammad, Mohammad Tahir Rashid, Hammad Ahmad, and Irfanullah—were convicted by the Navy Tribunal on charges including terrorism, conspiracy, and aiding a terrorist organization (ISIS). The attack occurred on September 6, 2014, at the Karachi Navy Dockyard, where one Navy officer was martyred and two attackers were killed during a failed attempt to hijack a Pakistan Navy ship and target a US naval vessel.
The Navy Tribunal sentenced the officers to death in May 2016, based on their involvement with ISIS, and charges related to treason and attempting to bring weapons into the dockyard. During the latest court hearing, the petitioners’ lawyer, Colonel (retd.) Inam-ul-Rehman, reported that the inquiry report and judgment had been shared with the defense counsel after a request for access was filed. However, the Navy had initially withheld the documents, citing national security concerns.
The Islamabad High Court noted that the case was related to terrorism and should not be treated as a “Right to Information” issue. The Court also dismissed the petitioners’ request for further access to certain classified materials.
The incident, which took place on the Pakistan Navy’s dockyard, has been considered one of the most significant cases of internal security breaches involving the Navy, as the attackers intended to hijack a Navy vessel and attack foreign naval forces. The security forces managed to prevent the hijacking, killing two attackers and arresting four others.