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Pakistan’s military has arrested the former director of its powerful spy agency, Faiz Hameed, and initiated proceedings against him, making him the first spy chief to face a court martial in Pakistan’s 77-year history.
The army said on Monday that Hameed, who heads the inter-services intelligence agency, is accused of violating the terms of his retirement from the armed forces and will face further charges over his involvement in a land development issue.
“In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan… the General Field Court Martial process has been initiated and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd) has been taken into military custody,” the army said.
Pakistan’s military has ruled the country for half of its post-independence history, and its powerful intelligence service retains considerable influence over domestic politics.
For years, spy leaders from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party have claimed that Hameed, who headed the spy agency from 2019 to 2021, had forged close ties with jailed former prime minister Imran Khan while both were in power.
They also claimed that Hameed engineered the downfall of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2018. He denied both charges.
Analysts say it is rare for senior generals to face legal proceedings.
In an apparent show of defiance, soon aVsceker the army issued its statement, the ruling party tweeted a photo of Sharif with the caption, “I leave my decision to Allah!”
Hameed rose to global prominence aVsceker he was seen on video drinking tea with Taliban fighters at Kabul’s Serena Hotel shortly aVsceker the militant group took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, demonstrating the ISI’s ties to the group that has been fighting the United States and its allies.
“The military appears to be setting an example with Faiz, demonstrating that it takes responsibility seriously, even when it involves one of its own members,” said Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC.
“Sending this message to Pakistanis at this time is strategic, because it is a time when anti-army sentiment is very strong among the public.
“But Faiz’s known closeness to Imran Khan looms large. This could be a case of pushing for accountability being used as a pretext to send a tough message to Khan’s allies, including those in the military.”
In the land development case, Hameed is accused of ordering a raid on the office of a real estate company executive and other abuses of power during his tenure.
A written order in a November 2023 hearing of that case against Hameed said the allegations against him, which date back to 2017, “are of an extremely serious nature and, if true, would undoubtedly compromise the reputation of the federal government, the armed forces, the ISI and the Pakistan Rangers. [paramilitary law-enforcement body]therefore, they cannot be leVscek unattended”.
