Ex-ISI Chief Faiz Hameed Faces New Setback as Retired Brigadiers Turn State Witnesses in Corruption Probe
Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd), Pakistan’s former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is encountering further legal challenges as two retired brigadiers have decided to testify against him in a corruption case. This development intensifies the first-ever court martial proceedings against a former head of the spy agency in the country.
Hameed, who was once a significant supporter of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, was charged last year with political meddling, misuse of state resources, corruption, and breaches of the Official Secrets Act. These charges fall under rarely-invoked sections of the Pakistan Army Act, and Hameed remains in military custody.
Retired Brigadiers Naeem Fakhar and Ghaffar, previously close allies of Hameed, have begun cooperating with the military's investigation into a real estate scandal. Both officers served during Hameed's controversial leadership of the ISI.
| Fakhar was alleged to be the “focal person” for a theme park associated with tycoon Malik Riaz of Bahria Town, Pakistan’s biggest private developer. He also allegedly helped PTI’s Sardar Tanveer Ilyas become the prime minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. |
| Ghaffar, in charge of ISI development projects, is linked to projects funded by Bahria Town in Hameed’s hometown, Latifal near Chakwal. The development of high-quality roads and hospitals there has led to suspicions of possible returns for favours. |
These officers are now providing testimonies against Hameed while in custody.
The charges against Hameed originate from a 2017 ISI-led operation on Top City, a housing society near Islamabad, where cash and gold were seized on terrorism allegations. The housing society's owner, Kanwar Mooez Khan, was later acquitted and claimed that Hameed and his aides pressured him into paying 40 million rupees and funding a private TV channel to get some assets returned.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan stepped in during 2023, prompting the Defence Ministry to take action. Following an internal investigation overseen by Army Chief Asim Munir, Hameed was apprehended.
Hameed's fall from grace is viewed as part of the broader power tussle between the Pakistan Army and Imran Khan. Once a favourite within the military ranks, Hameed lost favour after Imran Khan advocated for his promotion to Army Chief, a move resisted by then COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Known for his 2021 photograph enjoying tea in Afghanistan after the Taliban's takeover, Hameed was eventually pushed aside and retired in 2022 following Munir's ascension as Army Chief, despite being a candidate for the position.
Malik Riaz, also implicated in the Al Qadir Trust case involving Imran Khan, has reportedly fled Pakistan and has declined to testify against the former prime minister.
With the testimony of the two brigadiers, the case against Hameed has reached a critical juncture, representing an unparalleled examination of accountability within Pakistan's influential military establishment.
