PAKISTAN DEC 11 : A former Pakistani spy chief, retired Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, has been sentenced by a military court to 14 years in prison after a 15‑month court-martial on multiple charges, including involvement in politics and breaching the Official Secrets Act.
According to the military’s statement, a Field General Court Martial tried the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general under the Pakistan Army Act in proceedings that stretched over more than a year.
Hameed faced four counts: taking part in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act in a manner deemed harmful to state security and interests, abusing his authority and state resources, and causing wrongful loss to individuals, though the statement did not specify who suffered that loss.
The court concluded that Hameed was guilty on all four charges and imposed a 14‑year prison term, stressing that “lengthy and laborious” legal proceedings were held and that he enjoyed full rights of defence, including counsel of his choice.
The military said Hameed retains the right to challenge the decision before the appropriate appellate forum.Hameed has long been viewed as close to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who is serving several sentences on corruption and other charges after his 2023 arrest and has frequently accused the military, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the United States of engineering his ouster in 2022—allegations they all reject.
Security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said the verdict followed an extensive inquiry and shows the current military leadership’s determination that no officer, serving or retired, should engage in politics, casting Hameed’s punishment as a warning to others.
The retired general was taken into custody in 2024 following an internal probe ordered by Pakistan’s Supreme Court into allegations linked to the Top City housing project near Islamabad.
Until now, neither the government nor the military had publicly detailed the specific accusations, and his arrest drew significant attention in Pakistan, where the army is highly influential and prosecutions of senior or former officers are relatively rare.
