By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military has arrested three more retired officers in connection with the court-martial of former spymaster Lt. Gen. (retired) Faiz Hameed, who was detained this week on charges of violating the Pakistan Army Act.
The arrests, announced by the military’s media wing on Thursday, bring to four the number of retired officers being held in connection with Hameed’s court-martial. The military has not named the three latest detainees.
“In connection with the FGCM proceedings of Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed, three retired officers are also in military custody for their actions prejudicial to military discipline,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a brief statement.
Hameed, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 2019 to 2021, is accused of multiple violations of the army act, including actions “prejudicial to military discipline”. The military has not elaborated on the charges.
The army initially said it had acted against Hameed in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court on a petition filed by the management of the Top City housing society, accusing him of extortion, land grabbing and snatching valuables, though its latest statement indicates he is being investigation for political activities.
“Authorities have taken two retired brigadiers and a retired colonel into military custody,” local Geo TV reported. “The retired officers, identified as Brigadiers Ghaffar and Naeem and Colonel Asim, are accused of acting as intermediaries between a political party and the ex-spymaster.”
The two brigadiers, who hail from Chakwal, the hometown of former General Hameed, are alleged to have facilitated unspecified activities, Geo said.
“A total of eight individuals, including the retired officers, have been taken into custody in connection with the proceedings against General Hameed.”
The arrests come amid a deepening rift between the military and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary vote in April 2022. Khan has accused the military of orchestrating his removal and has faced a crackdown on his party since then.
Hameed’s removal as ISI chief in 2021 was seen as a key factor in the deterioration of relations between Khan and the military. The former spy chief was considered close to Khan, who has denied any political relationship with him.
Many independent analysts, as well as Khan supporters, believe actions against Hameed may be part of the crackdown against close Khan associates.
It is widely believed that Hameed was advising Khan when the PTI was publicly criticizing the army and its top leadership, though local media reports claim the former prime minister has since distanced his party from Hameed, calling his arrest “the army’s internal matter.”
Khan denied any political relationship with Hameed, stating their association was limited to his tenure as premier and ISI chief until October 2021. “We never had a political relationship with General Faiz or anyone. My relationship with him was until October 2021, when he was replaced as ISI chief,” Khan was quoted as saying by one of his lawyer earlier this week.
General Hameed had opted for early retirement after the government of former Prime Minister Imran Khan was toppled in the parliamentary vote. Hameed was among six senior generals considered for the top two military posts, with his name sent to then-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for approval in November 2022.
The military has said it is investigating Hameed and other retired officers for fomenting instability” and colluding with political interests. It has not provided further details.
“Further investigations of certain retired officers and their accomplices for fomenting instability at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests are continuing.”
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