Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed: A Deep Dive into the Rise and Fall of Pakistan’s Former ISI Chief

Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed is a retired three-star general of the Pakistan Army, currently facing court-martial proceedings. He served as the 24th Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2022.

Early Life and Education

• Birth and Family Background
  • Born in the village of Latifal in Chakwal, Faiz Hameed hails from a region known for producing military leaders. He has three siblings, with his brother Sardar Najaf Hameed serving as a land revenue officer.
• Military Education and Commissioning
  • Faiz Hameed began his military journey at the Pakistan Military Academy in 1987 and graduated from the Command & Staff College in Quetta. He was commissioned into the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army.

Military Career Highlights

• Director General of ISI
  • From 2019 to 2022, Faiz Hameed held the prestigious position of Director General of ISI, where he was recognized as a leading spymaster.
• Other Key Roles
  • He also served as the General Officer Commanding of the 16th Infantry Division in Pano Akil and as the Commander of the XXXI Corps before taking early retirement on December 10, 2022.

Legal Proceedings and Court-Martial

• Top City Case Inquiry
  • In 2024, following directives from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Pakistan Army conducted an inquiry into the Top City Case involving Faiz Hameed, leading
    

    

    to disciplinary measures under the Pakistan Army Act of 1952.

• Violations and Court-Martial
  • Several violations of the Pakistan Army Act were identified post-retirement, resulting in the initiation of a Field General Court Martial. Faiz Hameed is currently in military custody.

Personal Life and Family

• Family Tragedy and Current Roles
  • Faiz Hameed’s brother, Sardar Sikandar Hayat, tragically passed away in an accident in 2016, while his brother Sardar Najaf serves as a land revenue officer in Chakwal.

Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed: Military Career and Key Roles

Overview of Military Service

• • Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, a retired three-star general, held several key positions within the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), making significant contributions throughout his career.

Early Military Career

• Commissioning into the Baloch Regiment
  • Faiz Hameed began his military journey by being commissioned into the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army, marking the start of a distinguished career.

Key Leadership Roles

• General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 16 Infantry Division
  • From June 2015 to January 2017, Hameed served as the General Officer Commanding of the 16 Infantry Division at Pano Akil Cantonment.
• Adjutant General at General Headquarters
  • He briefly held the position of Adjutant General at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi from April to June 2019.

Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

• First Tenure as ISI Head (January 2017 – April 2019)
  • Hameed first led the ISI as its head from January 2017 until April 2019, overseeing key intelligence operations.
• Second Tenure as ISI Director-General (June 2019 – October 2021)
  • He was appointed as the Director-General of ISI again from June 2019 until October 6, 2021, becoming the 24th individual to hold this prestigious role.

• Visit to Kabul After Taliban Takeover
  • In September 2021, shortly after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Hameed visited Kabul. His visit was marked by discussions on the implications of the U.S. withdrawal from the region.
• Notable Incident in Kabul
  • During his visit to Kabul, when questioned by a reporter about the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s control, Hameed responded with a reassuring smile, stating, “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.”

Later Career and Retirement

• Corps Commander in Peshawar and Bahawalpur
  • Before his retirement, Hameed held the position of Corps Commander in both Peshawar and Bahawalpur, further showcasing his leadership capabilities.

Allegations by Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui

• Claims of Judicial Manipulation in the Panama Papers Case
  • In 2018, Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, a dismissed judge from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), accused Faiz Hameed of manipulating the judicial process in the Panama Papers case involving former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
• Specific Allegations of Bench Manipulation
  • Siddiqui claimed that Faiz Hameed, then the Director General of ISI, attempted to influence the selection of a bench to hear appeals concerning Nawaz Sharif and his family.

Supreme Court Petition and Response

• Petition by the Dismissed Judge
  • On January 22, 2024, a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, took up the petition filed by Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui. This petition had not been heard during the tenures of three previous chief justices.
• Faiz Hameed’s Defense
  • In response to the petition, Faiz Hameed, through his legal representative Khawaja Haris, categorically denied the allegations, labeling them as “completely false, fabricated, and a product of hindsight.”
• Argument Regarding Bench Formation
  • Faiz Hameed emphasized that the responsibility for forming benches to hear appeals lay with the chief justice of the IHC, not with the senior puisne judge, who was the petitioner at the time.

Arrest and Broader Implications

• Arrest on Corruption Charges
  • On August 12, 2024, the Pakistani military announced the arrest of Faiz Hameed on charges of corruption. This arrest is seen as part of a broader campaign against associates of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had appointed Hameed to his position.
• Unprecedented Nature of the Arrest
  • The arrest is particularly unusual in Pakistan, where it is rare to detain military personnel, whether active or retired, highlighting the significance of this development.

Faiz Hameed Arrested

Introduction

• Historic Arrest of Former ISI Chief
  • The Pakistani military announced the arrest of Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), marking the first time in Pakistan’s history that a current or former chief of the powerful agency faces court-martial proceedings.
    • General Hameed, known for his significant influence in Pakistan’s military and political landscape, was handpicked by former Prime Minister Imran Khan to serve as spy chief.

Charges Against General Hameed

• Corruption and Political Meddling Allegations
  • The arrest and court-martial proceedings are related to charges of corruption and political meddling, particularly in connection with a 2017 scandal involving a private housing development in Islamabad.
• Details of the 2017 Scandal
  • General Hameed and his brother are accused of attempting to acquire ownership of the housing development through arrest and blackmail of its owner.
• Post-Retirement Violations
  • Additional charges include alleged violations of the Pakistan Army Act after General Hameed’s retirement in 2022, with the act prohibiting retired officials from engaging in political activities for two years.

Military and Political Implications

• Impact on Pakistan’s Military Leadership
  • The arrest is seen as part of a broader crackdown on allies of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose efforts to promote General Hameed as army chief contributed to his political downfall.
• Potential Consequences
  • Analysts suggest that General Hameed’s arrest could have far-reaching consequences both domestically and internationally, given his previous power and influence within Pakistan’s military and political spheres.

Conclusion

• A Turning Point in Pakistan’s Military ?
  • The arrest of a former ISI chief signals a significant shift in Pakistan’s approach to holding military leaders accountable, with potential implications for the country’s political future.

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