Days after the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid was taken into custody by the Pakistan Army, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has distanced himself from the retired general.
On August 12, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the arrest of the former ISI chief, stating he was detained over allegations of land grabbing and stealing valuables from the owner of a private housing society.
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In compliance with the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s orders, the Pakistan Army conducted a detailed court of inquiry into complaints against Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid related to the Top City Case, according to the army’s media wing.
Speaking to journalists at Adiala Jail on Thursday, the incarcerated PTI leader asserted, “I have no connection with General (retd) Faiz.” Khan emphasized that if the military wishes to hold General Faiz accountable, it is an internal matter for them to address.
Khan welcomed the development, expressing approval that the army has initiated an internal accountability process. However, he urged that this accountability be applied across the board.
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When asked about his previous association with the former spymaster, the 72-year-old former cricketer and politician mentioned that during his tenure as Prime Minister, he did not want to remove General Faiz from his position amid the regime change in Afghanistan.
Khan explained that General Faiz was involved in negotiations with the Afghanistan government and the Taliban, facilitating his meetings with then US envoy for Afghanistan’s peace process, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Taliban representatives. The former ISI chief maintained these negotiations for three years, leveraging his strong relations with the Taliban, which Khan described as an asset to the country that was ultimately squandered.
The embattled PTI founder revealed that he had heated exchanges with former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa over the issue of Faiz’s removal, accusing Bajwa of dismissing Faiz to secure his own extension. “I repeatedly asked Bajwa not to remove Faiz but to no avail,” Khan lamented.
He also claimed that General (retd) Bajwa orchestrated his government’s downfall to extend his tenure, holding Bajwa responsible for the rise in terrorism within the country.
Regarding recent comments by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who suggested that the former spymaster was involved in the May 9 riots, Khan called for an inquiry to determine if the retired general had a role in the violent protests.
Khan further asserted that Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had insisted on Faiz’s removal as a condition.
The army’s media wing recently confirmed that a court martial process has begun against the former head of the country’s premier spy agency related to the Top City Case. Three more retired officers were taken into military custody on Thursday in connection with the same housing scheme case.
According to sources, two of the detained officers are of brigadier rank, identified as Ghaffar and Naeem, and one is a colonel named Asim. They allegedly acted as intermediaries between a political party and the former spymaster. The sources added that a total of eight individuals, including the retired officers, have been detained in connection with the case.