The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, citing its imprisoned leader Imran Khan, has called for an open trial in the court martial proceedings against former ISI chief General (retired) Faiz Hameed, who was recently detained in connection with a housing scheme scam.
On Monday, Imran Khan claimed that the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) head was being pressured to testify against him in order to facilitate his own trial in a military court over the May 9 riots. Imran described the issue as an “internal matter” of the military.
“If Gen Faiz is the key role in the May 9 conspiracy, I request Gen Asim Munir to conduct Gen Faiz Hameed’s trial in open court,” the PTI quoted Imran as saying on X (formerly Twitter). Imran added that an open trial would reveal the truth, but expressed skepticism that it would actually occur, predicting that the decision would likely be made behind closed doors.
The former prime minister also stated that all charges against him had “collapsed,” and suggested that the authorities are seeking to push him towards military courts as a last resort.
In a historic move, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on August 12 that Gen Faiz Hameed had been arrested for allegedly violating the Army Act. The arrest, prompted by misconduct allegations from the owner of a private housing society, shattered the longstanding belief that former spy chiefs were untouchable in Pakistan, where military leaders have traditionally wielded significant power.
The ISPR referenced a November 2023 directive from the Supreme Court, which instructed Kanwar Moeez Khan, the owner of Islamabad’s Top City housing society, to pursue grievances against Gen Faiz through appropriate channels, including the Ministry of Defence. This directive formed the basis for the action taken against the former spymaster.
Subsequent ISPR statements disclosed that three other retired officers were also in military custody for actions deemed prejudicial to military discipline. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar hinted that further arrests could follow in connection with Gen Faiz’s court martial.
