A military court in Pakistan has sentenced the country’s former intelligence chief and Imran Khan ally, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, to 14 years in prison.
This is the first time in the country’s 78-year history that a former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been sentenced.
A Field General Court Martial officially issued the verdict, awarding former ISI Director General Hameed 14 years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty on all four charges, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
His jailing is widely being viewed as part of the crackdown on Imran Khan’s allies.
The military said the proceedings against Hameed began on August 12 last year under the Pakistan Army Act and lasted 15 months.
He was charged with engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act in ways that jeopardised the state’s security and interests, misusing authority and government resources, and causing wrongful losses to individuals.
“The involvement of the convict in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cahoots with political elements and in certain other matters is separately being dealt with,” said ISPR.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
He was arrested in August of last year after a private housing society accused him of arranging an illegal raid on the owner’s offices and residence.
Hameed was removed from his position several months before the end of his three-year term and months before the parliament passed a no-trust motion against imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan in April 2022.
Following the Nov. 2022 appointment of incumbent army chief Gen. Asim Munir, Hameed decided to retire early.
Who is Faiz Hameed?
Faiz Hameed, born 1968, is a retired three-star general of the Pakistan Army who served as the 29th Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from June 2019 to November 2021 — making him Pakistan’s most powerful spymaster during that period.
The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is Pakistan’s premier military-run intelligence agency, established in 1948 and headquartered in Islamabad. It is widely regarded as one of the world’s most powerful and controversial intelligence organisations and is often described as a “state within a state.”
Hameed was appointed ISI chief in 2019 by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan and was widely seen as Khan’s closest ally in the military.
He oversaw ISI operations during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and allegedly used the ISI’s political wing to support Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and influence domestic politics.
His conviction is seen as part of a broader purge of officers perceived as loyal to Imran Khan, and as a rare public assertion of control by the current military leadership (General Asim Munir) over the once-untouchable ISI.
