Pakistan army arrests former ISI chief Faiz Hameed; court martial proceedings initiated

Pakistan army on Monday (August 12) announced the arrest of former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed. Court-martial proceedings have been initiated against Hameed—a supporter of former PM Imran Khan—in connection with a housing scheme scandal, said the Pakistan army.

Military custody

"Complying with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry was undertaken by Pakistan Army, to ascertain correctness of complaints in Top City Case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd)," said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - Pakistan army's media wing in a statement.

"Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd.), under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act," it said.

It added that multiple instances of violation of the Pakistan Army Act post-retirement have also been established against Hameed and consequently the "process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been taken into military custody."

Who is Faiz Hameed?

Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed was the head of ISI, Pakistan's spy agency from 2019 to 2021. He was put at the helm of the spy agency when then ISI chief and current army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post.

At the time, it was reported that Munir was replaced because the then prime minister, Imran Khan, was not happy with him.

Some time later, the army decided to remove Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Imran Khan. This, as per a PTI news agency report, is believed to be the beginning of the souring of Hameed's relationship with the Pakistan military.

Top Cityhousing scheme: Allegations against Lt Gen Hameed

In November 2023, Moeez Ahmed Khan, the owner of Top City, in a petition to the Supreme Court accused Hameed of misusing his authority. He alleged that on May 12, 2017, at the behest of Gen Hameed, ISI officials raided the Top City office and ceased valuables including gold, diamonds, and money. He also alleged that ISI officials have extorted 400 million Pakistani rupee (USD 143,542) from him.

He also claimed that Hameed's brother, Sardar Najaf, later contacted him to resolve the issue, and that Hameed himself sought to settle the matter.

Acting on the petition, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by a three-judge bench including Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Justice Attar Minullah, and Justice Aminuddin, decided to refer the case to the Ministry of Defence for further investigation.

In response, the Pakistan Army announced in April that a high-level inquiry committee, headed by a major general, had been constituted to probe the allegations.

Hameed retired prematurely in November 2022, four months ahead of his scheduled retirement, following the appointment of the current army chief.

(With inputs from agencies)