ISLAMABAD: A former chief of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), has been taken into military custody and field court martial proceedings initiated against him over allegations of corruption and misuse of authority, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan army’s media wing, said on Monday.
This is the first time in the country’s history that a court martial has been initiated against a former ISI chief.Hameed, who served as ISI chief from June 2019 to Oct 2021, was widely believed to be close to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s govt.
The arrest, according to ISPR, was ordered by the Supreme Court in a petition filed by the owner of a private housing society in Islamabad accusing the former spymaster of torturing him and his family members and robbing them of their properties and valuables. Hameed has also been accused of multiple violations of the Pakistan Army Act after retirement.
“Complying with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry was undertaken by the Pakistan Army to ascertain the correctness of complaints in the Top City (housing society) case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd),” the military said in a statement.
The management of Top City had accused the former ISI chief of orchestrating a raid on its offices and residence of its owner, Moeez Khan. As per the petition, filed in May 2017, Pakistan Rangers and ISI officials had taken away valuables, including gold and diamond ornaments and money, in connection with a purported terrorism case.
Consequently, according to ISPR, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Hameed under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act.
“In addition, multiple instances of violation of Pakistan Army Act post-retirement have also been established,” the statement said.
Hameed came into the global spotlight when he was filmed drinking tea in the lobby of a Kabul hotel shortly after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, forcing the former ruler, Ashraf Ghani, to flee.
His transfer out of his ISI post had become a bone of contention between the former PM and the then army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, which ultimately ended in Imran’s ouster from office in April 2022. Hameed had sought early retirement from the army in Nov 2022.
Hameed was among the six senior-most army generals who were nominated by General HQ as a potential candidate for the two top military offices, chief of army staff (COAS) and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC). He had served as Peshawar and Bahawalpur corps commander before retirement.
This is the first time in the country’s history that a court martial has been initiated against a former ISI chief.Hameed, who served as ISI chief from June 2019 to Oct 2021, was widely believed to be close to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s govt.
The arrest, according to ISPR, was ordered by the Supreme Court in a petition filed by the owner of a private housing society in Islamabad accusing the former spymaster of torturing him and his family members and robbing them of their properties and valuables. Hameed has also been accused of multiple violations of the Pakistan Army Act after retirement.
“Complying with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry was undertaken by the Pakistan Army to ascertain the correctness of complaints in the Top City (housing society) case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd),” the military said in a statement.
The management of Top City had accused the former ISI chief of orchestrating a raid on its offices and residence of its owner, Moeez Khan. As per the petition, filed in May 2017, Pakistan Rangers and ISI officials had taken away valuables, including gold and diamond ornaments and money, in connection with a purported terrorism case.
Consequently, according to ISPR, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Hameed under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act.
“In addition, multiple instances of violation of Pakistan Army Act post-retirement have also been established,” the statement said.
Hameed came into the global spotlight when he was filmed drinking tea in the lobby of a Kabul hotel shortly after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, forcing the former ruler, Ashraf Ghani, to flee.
His transfer out of his ISI post had become a bone of contention between the former PM and the then army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, which ultimately ended in Imran’s ouster from office in April 2022. Hameed had sought early retirement from the army in Nov 2022.
Hameed was among the six senior-most army generals who were nominated by General HQ as a potential candidate for the two top military offices, chief of army staff (COAS) and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC). He had served as Peshawar and Bahawalpur corps commander before retirement.
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