Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that the arrest of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed is an internal military matter and that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has no involvement in this development.
According to PTI lawyer Intezar Panjutha, Khan emphasized that the action taken by the military is purely an internal affair and does not involve the PTI or Khan himself. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan echoed this sentiment, noting that the army operates independently and can take action according to its own procedures.
On Monday, the military’s media wing announced that Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed had been taken into military custody, with a field general court martial process underway concerning the Top City housing scheme scandal. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that the disciplinary action was initiated following Supreme Court orders.
Panjutha mentioned that Khan had a professional relationship with Gen Hameed only until October 2021, when he was replaced as ISI chief by former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa. Khan alleged that Bajwa’s replacement of Hameed was part of a deal with Nawaz Sharif to extend his own tenure.
Panjutha also noted that Khan viewed the court martial proceedings as a potential opportunity if they are linked to the events of May 9.
The PTI lawyer reiterated the party’s demand for a judicial commission to investigate the violent nationwide protests following Khan’s arrest and to determine who was responsible for ordering Khan’s abduction from the Islamabad High Court, as well as who orchestrated the May 9 conspiracy.
