A Summary of Evidence

From the pen of the Founding Editor of ‘The Miracle.

Ialways found it interesting to confront my superior officers whenever I found them using their command illegally or unfairly. Officer Commanding (OC) Cherat, known for ordering Summary of Evidence liberally, developed unlikeness towards me for my obvious care free attitude. After some failed attempts of improving relations, I also took to an indifferent attitude. A commissioned officer could only receive a punishment if a Summary of Evidence proved him guilty. A senior officer records an investigation and it is sent to the Legal Directorate of the Air Headquarters for recommendation. Depending on the findings, the Legal branch either dismisses or recommends a summary trial by an officer of higher rank. A reprimand or severe reprimand awarded by summary disposal remains unchallengeable by the accused officer. However, a serious punishment amounting to loss of seniority or more allows the aggrieved officer to seek a retrial by a court-martial. Once, I went out to Islamabad from Cherat on a weekend and fell sick with fever. There were three different Military Hospitals around Rawalpindi and Islamabad at that time: The Air Force Hospital, The Combined Military Hospital (C.M.H), and The Military Hospital (M.H.) were available to provide medical facilities to the personnel of all the three forces. On reporting sick at the Air Force hospital Chaklala, the doctor advised me Excused Duty (E.D.) for three days. According to the Air Force laws, E.D. requires complete rest and forbids a person from going out of his room. In my case, the law prohibited me from traveling to Cherat. I informed Cherat about the E.D. The OC ordered me to report to the squadron and rest in my room at Cherat. His command was unlawful, I knew it, and the OC knew it as well. I refused to return and stayed back at my home in Islamabad. After three days I recovered, but acted naughty and went again to see a different doctor to the Combined Military Hospital this time. This doctor had no knowledge of my earlier sick report from the Air Force hospital. He too gave me E.D. for three days. I again told Cherat about the E.D. for another three days. The OC again ordered me to return to Cherat and rest in my room. Again, I stayed home. Both of us were well aware of our actions he, for issuing an illegal order, and I, of my lawful right. He was entitled to ask, but I had the right to refuse. I wanted to prolong the game further. After six days of E.D.’s, I went to a third doctor at the Military Hospital (M.H) in Rawalpindi and managed another three days E.D. from him. I again informed Cherat about E.D. for three further days. This time, the OC did not ask me to return to Cherat. Besides giving an E.D. letter to me, the military hospitals also sent a signal direct to my squadron, officially telling them about the off-duty status of their officer. When I told my unit in Cherat about the E.D., they also received two signals originating from the Air Force Hospital and the C.M.H. The M.H. did not send a signal for some unknown reason. However, the official record of my E.D. was available at the hospital. The official signal of my last three days on E.D. from the M.H. did not reach them in Cherat. Therefore, they checked my status of last three days from the Air Force and the Combined Military Hospitals. They could not trace the last three days of E.D. at either hospital. It obviously wasn’t there, as I had taken the third set of E.D’s from the M.H. They did not bother to check with the M.H.