ISLAMABAD: Former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid will not become an approver in any case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, his lawyer has stated, rejecting widespread speculation circulating in political and media circles.
Barrister Mian Ali Ashfaq, counsel for the former spymaster, categorically denied reports suggesting that his client was considering testifying against the jailed former prime minister. Speaking to The News, the lawyer described such claims as speculative, baseless, and completely detached from reality.
Responding to specific queries, Barrister Ashfaq said there was “no truth whatsoever” in reports claiming that Faiz Hamid might turn an approver in cases involving Imran Khan. He stressed that all such narratives lacked factual grounding and relied purely on conjecture. According to him, repeated claims about a possible shift in Faiz’s position misrepresented the legal and factual situation.
Political claims fuel ongoing narrative
The clarification comes against the backdrop of repeated public statements by several federal ministers and Senator Faisal Vawda, who is widely considered close to the military establishment. These figures have repeatedly suggested that the former ISI chief could testify against Imran Khan, particularly in cases linked to the violence of May 9, 2023.
Since those incidents, speculation about an alleged nexus between Imran Khan and Faiz Hamid has gained traction. Government representatives have often linked the two figures to the attacks on military installations that followed Imran’s arrest. As a result, the narrative has remained a recurring theme in political discourse.
When asked whether he had directly discussed the issue with his client, Barrister Ashfaq avoided confirming such a conversation. However, he asserted with confidence that there was “no question” of Faiz Hamid becoming an approver against the PTI founder, adding that he knew this “for a fact.”
Notably, speculation intensified after a military court recently sentenced Faiz Hamid to 14 years in prison. Following the verdict, senior cabinet members, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, reiterated claims that the May 9 violence resulted from a coordinated plan involving Imran Khan and the former intelligence chief.
Lack of official confirmation
Despite these assertions, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, has not publicly confirmed the existence of any Imran-Faiz nexus in its briefings. Moreover, when the information minister was recently asked whether the government’s claims were based on findings from a civil or military investigation, he avoided a direct answer and referred the matter to ISPR.
This absence of official confirmation continues to raise questions about the basis of the allegations, even as political rhetoric around the issue persists.
