ISPR says multiple instances of violation of Pakistan Army Act post retirement also established
Islamabad – By Our Correspondent
Former ISI chief Lt. Gen. (retired) Faiz Hameed, who held the position from June 2019 to October 2021, has been taken into custody by Pakistan’s army, which has also initiated court martial proceedings against him, according to a statement from the Pakistani military on Monday. This unexpected move has surprised many in the country.
The inquiry against Hameed was conducted following orders from the Supreme Court of Pakistan related to the Top City case, as per the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing. The investigation aimed to verify the legitimacy of complaints against the former intelligence chief.
As a result, disciplinary action has been taken under the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act, and the process of a Field General Court Martial has begun, with Hameed now in military custody. The ISPR also noted that multiple violations of the Pakistan Army Act after his retirement have been confirmed.
Hameed is believed to have close ties with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on various charges. During his tenure, Hameed was accused by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party of playing a role in the downfall of Nawaz Sharif’s government, with allegations that he collaborated with Imran Khan to engineer Nawaz’s removal through court cases, leading to his disqualification by the Supreme Court in 2017.
Investigations of senior military officers are highly unusual in Pakistan, where the army has been a dominant force, ruling for nearly half of the country’s 76-year history. Last month, another retired army officer, Lt. Col. Akbar Hussain, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for “inciting sedition among army personnel,” according to the military.
— This is a developing story, more details to follow.
