Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s navy has charged a former spy chief with “participating in political actions”, in essence accusing him of working with ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan to destabilise the nation.
The chargesheet in opposition to retired Lieutenant-Basic Faiz Hamid, the previous head of Pakistan’s Inter-Providers Intelligence (ISI), follows months of investigations and proceedings beneath the Pakistan Military Act. Hamid was arrested in August this yr.
“Throughout the course of, the involvement of Lt Gen Faiz Hamid (Retd) in occasions associated to creating agitation and unrest, main as much as a number of incidents, together with however not restricted to the occasions of Might 9, 2023, geared toward fomenting instability on the behest of and in collusion with vested political pursuits—can be being individually investigated,” the assertion by the Inter-Providers Public Relations, the navy’s media wing, on Tuesday learn.
On that date, Khan’s arrest in reference to a corruption case led to protests by supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) occasion. The demonstrators focused state buildings and navy installations. 1000’s of individuals have been arrested, of whom about 100 confronted navy trials. Khan can be going through a number of circumstances associated to Might 9.
Based on the ISPR, Hamid has additionally been indicted for violations of the Official Secrets and techniques Act, misuse of authority, and improper use of presidency assets, amongst different fees.
Hamid’s arrest in August 2024 was prompted by what the navy described as “a number of situations of violation” of the Military Act, following his retirement in December 2022.
The ISPR acknowledged on the time that the motion in opposition to Hamid was taken in accordance with a Supreme Courtroom directive. This order stemmed from a petition by the land growth firm High Metropolis, which alleged that Hamid and his brother had acquired properties illegally and blackmailed the corporate’s proprietor. Hamid has not commented on the accusations in opposition to him, both when he was arrested in August, or since then.
Days after his arrest, three different retired military officers have been additionally detained for “actions prejudicial to navy self-discipline”. These arrests are broadly believed to have been linked to the proceedings in opposition to Hamid.
Whereas the federal government has but to touch upon the cost sheet launched, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged in August that the previous three-star common had meddled in political affairs even after his retirement.
“Basic Faiz was positively concerned within the political occasions that unfolded after his retirement,” Asif mentioned on August 12, when information of Hamid’s court docket martial was made public.
Who’s Faiz Hamid?
As soon as thought of a detailed confidant of former Prime Minister Khan and a contender for the place of military chief, Hamid opted for early retirement in December 2022, shortly after Basic Asim Munir took command of the military.
Hamid served in varied roles throughout the ISI earlier than being handpicked by Khan to go the company in June 2019, changing Munir.
His two-year tenure on the ISI was marked by allegations that he politically focused Khan’s rivals, lots of whom have been jailed; cracked down on media, violated human rights, and suppressed protest actions throughout the nation.
Hamid gained additional worldwide consideration in August 2021 when he was photographed at a Kabul resort shortly after the Taliban seized management of Afghanistan.
Following his transfer out of the ISI, Hamid, as Peshawar Corps Commander, facilitated talks between the federal government and the Pakistan Taliban.
Hamid additionally performed a key function in negotiating with the far-right spiritual occasion Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) throughout their protests in 2017 in opposition to the then-governing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), when he was deputed on the ISI as a senior official accountable for counterintelligence.
“Suspicious motive”
The Pakistani navy, broadly considered the nation’s most influential establishment, has immediately dominated for greater than 30 years of Pakistan’s historical past. Nonetheless, regardless of going through persistent allegations of political interference, no former spy chief has ever confronted a court docket martial.
Former Military Chief Basic Qamar Javed Bajwa, beneath whom Hamid served as ISI chief and later as Peshawar Corps Commander, has additionally confronted accusations of supporting Khan and engineering his rise to energy.
In his farewell deal with in November 2022, Bajwa acknowledged the navy’s unconstitutional interference in politics over the previous seven many years and promised reform.
“For my part, the rationale for that is the fixed meddling by the military in politics for the final 70 years, which is unconstitutional,” Bajwa mentioned, including that the navy had initiated its “catharsis.” He expressed hope that political events would additionally replicate on their actions.
Nonetheless, some retired senior navy officers consider that the navy’s interference in political issues persists and have criticised the court docket martial in opposition to Hamid as incomplete with out holding Bajwa accountable.
“Hamid may have solely engaged in political actions beneath specific directions from Bajwa, who was main the military,” a retired common instructed Al Jazeera on situation of anonymity.
He dismissed lots of the allegations in opposition to Hamid as “hogwash” and expressed scepticism in regards to the equity of the investigation.
The retired official additionally famous that the court docket martial of a navy officer has by no means earlier than been so overtly publicised.
“These issues are often stored out of the general public eye. This uncommon dissemination of data raises questions in regards to the motives behind the complete train,” the retired three-star common mentioned.
Political commentator Muneeb Farooq says that the court docket martial proceedings in opposition to the previous ISI chief have been “utterly unheard” of in Pakistani historical past.
However this, he mentioned, confirmed the importance and seriousness of the fees in opposition to Hamid. “It seems that the navy has some proof of Hamid’s alleged involvement in intrigue and makes an attempt to sabotage present military chief Munir’s appointment two years in the past,” Farooq instructed Al Jazeera.
The Lahore-based analyst added that the cost sheet primarily accuses Hamid of being a “conspirator or confederate in cahoots” with Khan, particularly throughout the occasions of Might 9.
