Two officers from the 201 Selab Military Corps in eastern Nangarhar province were on Tuesday sentenced to 20 years in prison each after being found guilty of spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

The primary court said evidence showed that Colonel Shah Mahmoud and Captain Nazir Ahmad were spies for ISI.

According to the court, Mahmoud was commander of a battalion of the second regiment of the military corps and Nazirullah was commander of a battalion squadron in the province.

“Based on article 158 of the Penal Code, you are sentenced to 20 years imprisonment,” Judge Mujiburrahman Nadim said while passing sentence.

“Colonel Shah Mahmoud and Captain Nazirullah took off from their unit and using the opportunity went to Pakistan. In Peshawar city they met with ISI agents,” Noor Mohammad Saqib, the state prosecutor said.

Footage presented in court showed the two men confessing to having spied for ISI.

The two officers denied the charges against them and said they had not been spies for the ISI.

“A healthy man with no mental problems will not testify against himself? We made the confession under pressure,” said Mahmoud.

However, the presiding judge said the two officers can appeal their sentences.