In an unprecedented development, the Pakistan Army announced on Monday that it has detained former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed and initiated court martial proceedings against him in connection with a housing scheme scandal.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army's media wing, a thorough court of inquiry was conducted by the Pakistan Army following orders from the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The inquiry aimed to verify complaints made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) in the Top City case.
As a result of the inquiry, disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) under the provisions of the Pakistan Army Act.
The statement further revealed that several instances of violations of the Pakistan Army Act, committed after Hameed's retirement, have been identified. Consequently, a Field General Court Martial process has been launched, and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been taken into military custody.
Faiz Hameed, who served as the head of Pakistan's intelligence agency from 2019 to 2021, was considered highly influential during his tenure.
Hameed was appointed to the top position following the premature removal of then-ISI chief Lt Gen Asim Munir, who is now the Army chief. Reports at the time suggested that then-Prime Minister Imran Khan was dissatisfied with Munir's performance. When the military later decided to replace Hameed, Khan strongly opposed the decision, which is believed to have marked the beginning of his strained relationship with the military.
The Top City case gained significant attention when, on November 8, 2023, Moeez Ahmed Khan, the owner of Top City, filed a petition in the Supreme Court accusing Hameed of abusing his authority. In the petition, Khan alleged that on May 12, 2017, at Hameed's direction, ISI officials raided his office and home, seizing valuables such as gold, diamonds, and money. He also claimed that Hameed's brother, Sardar Najaf, later contacted him to resolve the issue, and that Hameed personally met with him to address the matter.
Khan further accused the ISI officials of extorting ₹4 crore in cash from him.
The case was heard by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, Justice Attar Minullah, and Justice Aminuddin. The bench decided to refer the matter to the Ministry of Defence for further investigation.
In April this year, the army announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee, led by a major general, to investigate the allegations against Hameed.
Faiz Hameed opted for early retirement in November 2022, four months before his scheduled retirement date, after the current Army chief assumed his position. He was known to be close to the former Army chief, Gen Qamar Bajwa.
The position of ISI chief is one of the most critical roles within the Pakistan Army, which has played a significant role in the country's governance, security, and foreign policy throughout its history.
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