Pak’s former spymaster Faiz Hameed indicted on multiple charges, including engaging in political activities

Islamabad: In an unprecedented move, Pakistan’s former spymaster Lt Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed has been indicted on multiple charges, including engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, and misusing authority and government resources, the army said on Tuesday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, the process of Field General Court Martial (FGCM) was initiated against Hameed on August 12, 2024.

The former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was charged under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act and “in first place Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been formally arraigned on charges of engaging in political activities, violations of Official Secret Act detrimental to safety and interest of the state, misuse of authority & government resources and causing wrongful loss to a person(s).”

“During the process, involvement of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), in events related to creating agitation and unrest, leading up to multiple incidents including but not limited to 9th May 2023 incident for fomenting instability; at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests, is also being separately investigated,” it added.

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The military said that the former general was being provided all legal rights as per the law.

Hameed, who served as director general of the ISI from 2019 to 2021, was considered extremely powerful when he headed the spy agency. He was appointed to the coveted post when then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post. It was reported then that then Prime Minister Imran Khan was not happy with Munir.

Later, the army decided to replace Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Khan and it is believed that it was the beginning of the souring of his ties with the powerful military.

Hameed resigned in November 2022, four months before his retirement date, when he was overlooked for the appointment of the army chief.

His problem began when on November 8, 2023, Moeez Ahmed Khan, the owner of Top City, filed a petition in the Supreme Court in which he accused Hameed of misusing his authority.

The petition filed in the Supreme Court stated that on May 12, 2017, at the behest of Hameed, ISI officials raided the top city office and his house.

During the raid, valuables, including gold, diamonds and money, were seized from the house by ISI officials, the petitioner alleged.

The petition also stated that Sardar Najaf, the brother of Hameed, also contacted him to resolve the issue later.

The petition also claimed that Hameed later personally met him to resolve the issue, in which he assured that some of the items which had been taken away by the ISI officials during the raid would be returned. However, 400 tolas of gold and cash will not be returned to him.

The petitioner also alleged that the ISI officials extorted Rs 4 crore cash from him.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included then Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Justice Attar Minullah and Justice Aminuddin, heard the case and decided to send it to the Ministry of Defence to probe the allegation.

The army announced in April this year that it constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by a major general to look into the allegations.

The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 77-plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.