Ex-spymaster indicted on charges of ‘engaging in political activities’
Investigation into Faiz Hameed’s Involvement in Unrest and Violent Incidents Ongoing: Military Spokesperson
RAWALPINDI ( WEB NEWS )
Former intelligence chief retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed has been formally indicted on “charges of engaging in political activities”, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.
“And in the first place Lt-Gen (r) Faiz Hameed 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),” it stated.
“During the process, involvement of Lt-Gen (r) Faiz Hamid, in events related to creating agitation and unrest, leading up to multiple incidents including but not limited to May 9, 2023 incident for fomenting instability; at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests, is also being separately investigated,” the statement noted.
The development comes almost four months after the army announced the arrest of and FGCM proceedings against former head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Agency Lt-Gen Hameed, on allegations of violating the Army Act.
The army had cited a November 2023 directive from the Supreme Court, which instructed Kanwar Moeez Khan, owner of Islamabad’s Top City housing society, to seek redressal of grievances against Gen Hameed through relevant channels, including the Ministry of Defence, as the basis for initiating action against the former spymaster.
Meanwhile, Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq told Dawn.com that the former spymaster had engaged him as legal counsel. Ashfaq said he would represent Gen Hameed in the case proceedings which the ex-intelligence chief fully intended to contest.
On August 15, the military announced the arrest of three more retired officers in connection with court martial proceedings against former spymaster Hameed.
The ISPR had noted that more retired officers and their associates were being probed for allegedly inciting instability in collaboration with and on behalf of a political entity with vested interests.
The ISPR did not initially disclose the identities of the three officers who were taken into custody. However, media reports claimed they were identified as retired Brig Ghaffar, a former deputy director general for projects at ISI; retired Brig Naeem Fakhar, a former officer commanding; and retired Col Asim.
Brigadiers Ghaffar and Fakhar were also implicated in the SC petition filed by the owner of Top City Housing Society. The petition accused the two of extorting Rs40 million and coercing the sponsorship of a private TV channel.
In September, ISPR Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said court martial proceedings against Gen Hameed had been initiated based on “concrete evidence”.
The management of Top City, a private housing scheme, had levelled grave allegations against Gen Hameed, claiming that he had orchestrated a raid on the offices and residence of its owner, Moeez Khan.
In November 2023, the SC had asked the owner of the housing society to approach the relevant quarters, including the defence ministry, for the redressal of his grievances against the former spymaster and his aides.
In its written order issued on Nov 14, 2023, the apex court had said: “The allegations are of an extremely serious nature, and if true, undoubtedly would undermine the reputation of the federal government, the armed forces, ISI, and Pakistan Rangers, therefore, they cannot be left unattended.”
In April this year, the military had reportedly formed an inquiry committee in April to investigate allegations of misuse of authority against the former ISI chief.
Media reports had said the committee was formed by the military as a gesture of self-accountability and was to be headed by a serving major general.
They had said the committee was formed in the light of directives of the SC and Ministry of Defence. The committee was to prepare its report in the light of its findings and present it to the relevant authorities, reports had said.
In March 2024, a Rawalpindi court had sent retired naib tehsildar Najaf Hameed, brother of the former spymaster, to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Najaf, along with co-accused persons, had sought pre-arrest bail in a first information report (FIR) registered with the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi. The FIR had alleged that former minister for mineral resources Hafiz Ammar Yasir acquired properties worth billions of rupees in the name of benamidars.