Pakistani men convicted of spying seek leniency

Pakistani men convicted of spying seek leniency

Two Pakistani men convicted of spying have petitioned a court to include the time they spent in detention in their prison term.

A military court had sent Muhammad Afzal and Muhammad Islam to jail for four years after they were found guilty of espionage.

The counsel for the two men submitted a petition in the Lahore High Court yesterday which said they would have completed their sentence if the period of their detention by law enforcement agencies was included in their prison term.

"We have been in imprisonment for the past four years and our detention period should also be included in our sentence under Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure," the men said in their petition.

Afzal and Islam were arrested in Punjab province on charges of spying for India.

Justice Ayesha Malik heard the arguments of the counsel and directed a Deputy Attorney General to submit a reply on behalf of the government. The judge adjourned the case till mid-November.