In a major development, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed (retd) has been taken into military custody and the process of field court martial initiated against the former spy master, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated on Monday.

“Complying 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 the Top City case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd),” the military’s media wing said in a press statement.

“Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd), under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act.

“In addition, multiple instances of violation of the Pakistan Army Act post-retirement have also been established. The process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd) has been taken into military custody.”

Faisal Vawda says Faiz Hameed ‘mastermind’ of corruption scandal surrounding Al-Qadir Trust

The ISPR’s statement indicates that the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was also engaged in activities that, under the Pakistan Army’s post-retirement regulations, are not lawful.

After retiring in 2022, however, the former spymaster had said that he would not enter politics, dismissing an impression created after a video of him went viral.

Background

Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd), who took premature retirement from service in December 2022, has been in the news for some time, often for controversial reasons. He was among the six senior generals whose name was included by GHQ in the list of potential candidates for the post of army chief in 2022.

Hameed was director general of the ISI from 2019 to 2021, and came into global spotlight when he was filmed drinking tea in the lobby of a Kabul hotel shortly after the Taliban had taken over Afghanistan following the pullout of U.S. and other Western forces in 2021.

Before retirement, Hameed was the commander of the Bahawalpur and Peshawar corps. He faced criticism from political parties for allegedly supporting Imran Khan’s previous government and victimising PTI’s political opposition.

Recently, Faisal Vawda, a former federal minister, accused the ex-spymaster of being the “architect” and “mastermind” of the corruption case Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan is currently facing regarding the Al-Qadir Trust.

“My compulsion today was to tell the nation that when you say the beneficiary is Imran, […] the biggest is Faiz Hameed,” he said while speaking to reporters in Islamabad.

In March, the anti-corruption department arrested a former deputy tehsildar, Sardar Najaf Hameed, the brother of former DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd), in a case related to corruption and misuse of authority after the court canceled his bail.

The anti-corruption department’s official arrested Najaf Hameed after the anti-corruption court’s judge Judge Ali Nawaz Bhakar rejected his bail after he arrived late to the court.

SJC’s proceedings against retired judge: Ex-ISI chief, Brig Ramay submit replies

Similarly, Faiz Hameed was exonerated by a commission of inquiry established to investigate the Faizabad Dharna case earlier this year. In November 2017, political parties including Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan protested and held a sit-in for nearly three weeks at Islamabad’s Faizabad Interchange.

The protest ended after the protesting parties and the government reached an agreement.

Faizabad sit-in: commission clears Faiz Hameed

The agreement was also reportedly signed Faiz Hameed.