The court-martial process for former intelligence Chief Faiz Hameed has begun, and he has been placed in the military prison of the Top City housing project controversy, the army’s media wing announced on Monday. This is the first time a court martial has been filed against a former spymaster in the history of the nation.
According to a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry was undertaken by Pakistan Army, to ascertain the correctness of complaints in Top City case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd).” “Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), under the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act,” it continued.
Furthermore, numerous cases of post-retirement violations of the Pakistan Army Act have also been proven. According to the ISPR, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been placed into military custody and the Field General Court Martial procedure has begun. According to reports, an investigative committee was established by the military in April to look into claims of abuse of power made against the former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to media sources, the committee would be led by a major general who is currently serving and was established by the military as a show of self-accountability. They claimed that the committee was established under Supreme Court and Ministry of Defense guidelines. The Supreme Court stated in a written ruling dated November 14 that charges made against retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed, the former spymaster, were of a “very serious nature” and “cannot be left unattended,” as they could damage the standing of the nation’s institutions if they turned out to be accurate.
“The accusations are extremely serious, and if true, would undoubtedly undermine the reputation of the federal government, the armed forces, ISI, and Pakistan Rangers, therefore they cannot be left unattended,” the written order had stated. The administration of Top City, a private housing project, has made serious accusations against the former head of the ISI, saying he was responsible for planning an attack on the owner Moeez Khan’s apartment and offices.
The housing society’s owner was urged by the Supreme Court in November 2023 to take his complaints against the former spymaster and his assistants to the appropriate authorities, including the defense ministry. According to the reports, the recently established inquiry committee will compile its report in light of its conclusions and submit it to the appropriate authorities. A probe into allegations of corruption and unjustifiable asset accumulation against the former head of the ISI and his brother was announced in March 2023 by then-interior minister Rana Sanaullah.
Najaf Hameed, the brother of the former spymaster, was placed in Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand by a Rawalpindi court in March 2024. In the FIR filed with the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi, Najaf and the other co-accused individuals had requested pre-arrest bail. According to the FIR, Hafiz Ammar Yasir, the former minister for mineral resources, allegedly bought properties worth billions of rupees under the names of benamidars.
Sanaullah responded to the events of today by telling Geo News that they were a “very unusual event and I do not think there is any example of this present before at this level.” Sanaullah claimed that the government was aware that the former intelligence head was the subject of an investigation and that his name had surfaced in connection with other matters, which may have affected the current event.
The measure will improve the military’s reputation and credibility for having an accountability system “no matter the level of position,” he said, adding that “people had very low hope or the idea that action would be taken on this level.”
