Dawn.com
August 12, 2024
A photo of former DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. — Photo courtesy: ISPR
Former intelligence chief Faiz Hameed has been taken into military custody and the process for his court martial has been initiated in connection with the Top City housing scheme scandal, the army’s media wing said on Monday.
The development is a first in the country’s history where a court martial has been initiated against a former intelligence chief.
“Complying with the
orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry, was undertaken by Pakistan Army, to ascertain correctness of complaints in Top City case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd),” said a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
It added: “Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), under provisions of Pakistan Army Act.”
“In addition, multiple instances of violation of 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,” the ISPR further said.
The military had reportedly formed an inquiry committee in April to investigate allegations of misuse of authority against the former spymaster and head of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
Media reports had said the committee was formed by the military as a gesture of self-accountability and would be headed by a serving major general.
They had said the committee was formed in the light of directives of the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Defence.
In its written order issued on November 14, the apex court had said that allegations of an “extremely serious nature” against ex-spymaster retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed “cannot be left unattended” as they would undermine the reputation of the country’s institutions if they were proven to be true.
The written order had said: “The allegations are of an extremely serious nature, and if true, undoubtedly would undermine the reputation of the federal government, the armed forces, ISI and Pakistan Rangers, therefore, they cannot be left unattended.”
The management of Top City, a private housing scheme, had levelled grave allegations against the former ISI chief, claiming that he had orchestrated a raid on the offices and residence of its owner, Moeez Khan.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court had asked the owner of the housing society to
approach the relevant quarters, including the defence ministry, for the redressal of his grievances against the former spymaster and his aides.
The newly constituted inquiry committee will prepare its report in the light of its findings and present it to the relevant authorities, the reports had said.
In March 2023, then-interior minister Rana Sanaullah said that a
probe was underway against the ex-ISI boss and his brother over alleged corruption and accumulating assets beyond means.
In March 2024, a Rawalpindi court had sent retired naib tehsildar Najaf Hameed,
brother of the former spymaster, to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand. Najaf, along with co-accused persons, had sought pre-arrest bail in the FIR registered with the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi. The FIR had alleged that former minister for mineral resources Hafiz Ammar Yasir acquired properties worth billions of rupees in the name of benamidars.
Gen Hameed had opted to seek early retirement and sent his resignation to the high command in November 2022, according to unnamed sources.
He was among the six senior-most generals whose name was included by General Headquarters in the list of potential candidates for the two top military offices, sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for approval in November 2022.
Before assuming charge as Bahawalpur corps commander, Gen Hameed had worked in the same position in Peshawar. He had been the target of strong criticism from PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz for allegedly having a role in their convictions and for backing the previous set-up under PTI.
As per the petition, on May 12, 2017, the Pakistan Rangers and officials of the ISI raided the office of Top City and Moeez’s residence and took away valuables, including gold and diamond ornaments and money, in connection with a purported terrorism case.
The petition further stated that Gen Hameed’s brother Sardar Najaf mediated and tried to resolve the issue. After his acquittal, the petition claimed, Gen Hameed contacted Moeez through the latter’s cousin — a brigadier in the army — to arrange a meeting.
The petition claimed that during the meeting, Gen Hameed told the petitioner that he would return some of the items taken away during the raid except for 400 tola gold and cash.
The petition claimed that retired brigadier Naeem Fakhar and retired brigadier Ghaffar of the ISI allegedly “forced” the petitioner to “pay 4 crores in cash” and “sponsor a private AAP TV network for a few months”.
As per the petition, former ISI officials Irtaza Haroon, Sardar Najaf, Wasim Tabish, Zahid Mehmood Malik, and Mohammad Munir were also “involved in the illegal takeover of the housing society”.
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