Who is Faiz Hameed, the former chief of the ISI, recently apprehended by the Pakistan army? What allegations have been brought against him?
In a historic action, the Pakistan military detained and began legal proceedings against Lt General Faiz Hameed, who previously served as the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Hameed has been a contentious presence in Pakistani political circles, facing criticism for his fall from grace due to claims related to a housing project controversy called the Top City case.
It’s never happened before. However, it has occurred. The Pakistani military has detained and filed a court martial against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, the retired chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to the military, Hameed, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, is accused of breaking his retirement agreement from the military and may also be tried for his role in a land development matter.
“In accordance with the directives of the Pakistan Supreme Court, the Field General Court Martial procedure has commenced and Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been placed under military custody,” the army declared.
With Hameed’s arrest, Pakistan has never before faced court-martial proceedings against a serving or former head of the potent ISI. Many point out that it’s a part of a campaign against Imran Khan’s associates who are imprisoned.
However, who is Faiz Hameed exactly? What charges has he been facing?
Who is Faiz Hameed?
Retired Lt General Faiz Hameed served as the head of Pakistan’s influential ISI from 2019 to 2021, playing a crucial role in the nation’s security structure. He rose to prominence and succeeded General Asim Munir, who is also the present head of the Pakistan Army. Hameed’s rise to the presidency occurred during the tenure of then Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Prior to his involvement with the ISI, Hameed became significant in 2017 by playing a crucial part in settling the Faizabad dharna, which was led by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, through a negotiated agreement.
In 2021, he shot to worldwide notoriety when visuals of him developed drinking tea with the Taliban in Kabul’s Serena Inn in no time after the gather took over Afghanistan in Eminent 2021. Numerous at the time had famous that this was an sign of Pakistan’s back to the bunch, which was engaging against the Joined together States and its partners.
Amid his residency as ISI chief, numerous lawmakers have blamed Hameed of being heavy-handed to if it’s not too much trouble his political bosses and encourage his career, reports the Unused York Times. Previous Prime Serve Nawaz Sharif freely claimed that Common Hameed, along side a bunch of Preeminent Court judges and another military common, was behind his evacuation from control in 2017.
In November 2022, four months some time recently his planned retirement, Hameed was constrained to leave after Common Munir took over as the Pakistan armed force chief. At the time of his exit, Imran Khan had attempted to hold him, but to no profit — highlighting the pressures between Khan and the Pakistani armed force.
Separated from the current matter, Hameed has too been denounced by Pakistan’s previous serve, Faisal Vawda, in May 2023, of being the “architect, engineer, and greatest beneficiary” of the Al-Qadir Believe case, beneath which it has been affirmed that previous prime serve Imran Khan and his spouse illicitly gotten billions of Pakistani Rupees and arrive worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd.
What led to Hameed’s arrest?
Hameed’s capture and ensuing court military is associated to a lodging plot embarrassment, called the Best City case.
The case got to be features when Moeez Ahmed Khan, the proprietor of the Beat City lodging advancement, recorded a request in Pakistan’s incomparable court, charging that at the command of Hameed, the ISI had struck his office and home. Amid the strikes, resources, gold, jewels and cash had been seized with Khan advance affirming that Hameed blackmailed from Rs 4 crore from him.
In reaction to these affirmations, Pakistan’s court had requested the Service of Protection to examine, saying the affirmations against Hameed were of an “extremely genuine nature”, and “cannot be cleared out unattended” since, in the event that they were demonstrated to be genuine, they would weaken the notoriety of Pakistan’s educate, counting the country’s government government, equipped strengths, ISI, and Pakistan Officers.
In April, the armed force shaped a committee to explore the affirmations of abuse of specialist against Hameed.
On Monday (August 12), the Pakistan army’s Inter-Services Open Relations (ISPR) office in a explanation said that the examination had been carried out and Hameed had been taken into military guardianship.
“Complying with the orders of Incomparable Court of Pakistan, a point by point court of request was embraced by Pakistan Armed force, to find out rightness of complaints in Beat City case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd).
It included:
“Consequently, suitable disciplinary activity has been started against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd), beneath arrangements of Pakistan Armed force Act.”
The ISPR advance said:
“In expansion, different occurrences of infringement of Pakistan Armed force Act post-retirement have too been set up. The method of Field Common Court Military has been started and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd) has been taken into military custody.”
What are the takeaway from Hameed’s arrest?
Hameed’s capture in Pakistan is exceptional. Husain Haqqani, a previous envoy of Pakistan to the US and presently a senior individual at the Hudson Established in Washington, was cited as telling the Unused York Times, “The capture and conceivable trial of a previous spy chief is bizarre for Pakistan.”
Michael Kugelman, a individual at the Wilson Middle in Washington DC, moreover told The Monetary Times, “The military looks to be making an case of Hameed, appearing that it takes responsibility truly, indeed when it comes to one of its claim.
“Sending this message to Pakistanis these days is key, as it’s a minute when anti-army opinion runs tall inside the public.”
For numerous others, Hameed’s capture is additionally a caution to previous Prime Serve Imran Khan. The two of them shared near ties, with numerous noticing that indeed after the former’s retirement he given bolster and exhortation to Khan.
“Naturally, the target is Imran Khan and his political faction, who have significantly gained from General Hameed both prior to and following his departure,” Murtaza Solangi, who once served as the information minister and is a political commentator, disclosed to the New York Times.
“However, it goes beyond that, conveying a strong and unequivocal warning from the empowered and fortified Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir to both active and former military members that any effort to undermine and fracture the military will not be accepted,” Solangi further stated.
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