Pakistan's military announced on Monday the arrest of retired General Faiz Hameed, the former director of the influential Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, in relation to a land development case. The apprehension of such a prominent officer is uncommon in Pakistan, where the military has governed for more than 30 of the 77 years since independence and maintains significant influence. The Supreme Court ordered the arrest, according to a military statement, which also noted that several violations of the Pakistan Army Act post-retirement had been confirmed.
"The process of Field General Court Martial has commenced, and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been placed under military custody," the statement detailed, without further specifying the violations. Attempts to obtain comment from Hameed were unsuccessful. Hameed served as the ISI's director general from 2019 to 2021 and gained international attention when he was seen sipping tea in a Kabul hotel lobby shortly after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S. and other Western forces.
The ISI has frequently been accused by Washington of supporting the Taliban during the U.S.-led presence in Afghanistan from 2001. The ISI chief is typically regarded as the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan, after the army chief. Hameed was also seen as close to Imran Khan, who appointed him to lead the ISI during his tenure as prime minister. Khan was removed in 2022 through a no-confidence vote, which he claims was engineered by the military, a claim the military denies.
Some local media reports indicate that disagreements between Khan and the military may have included Khan's wish to retain Hameed as ISI chief beyond his term.
