On Thursday, Pakistan's military announced the arrest of three additional retired officers, following the detention of former spy chief Faiz Hameed, who is facing a court-martial on charges of corruption and misuse of power.
These arrests are linked to the legal proceedings against Hameed, the former head of the Inter-services Intelligence (ISI), for actions deemed prejudicial to military discipline, according to a military statement. The statement also noted that ongoing investigations involve several retired officers and their associates for allegedly instigating instability at the direction of, and in collaboration with, political interests.
Political parties and critics frequently accuse the ISI of meddling in politics and government affairs. Hameed, a general, held the position of ISI chief from 2019 to 2021 under former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated. Khan had expressed his reluctance to remove Hameed from his ISI role after he was reassigned by Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Khan's associates and political analysts believe the dispute over Hameed's position contributed to a rift between Khan and Bajwa, culminating in Khan's removal through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in early 2022. The Pakistani military, which has governed the country directly for over 30 years out of its 77-year independent history, wields significant influence over government formation and dissolution.
Hameed's court-martial follows the completion of an inquiry by the military, ordered by the Supreme Court, into a complaint from a real estate developer. The developer accused Hameed of abusing his position to unlawfully seize a housing project near Islamabad. Furthermore, the military cited multiple violations of the Pakistan Army Act post-retirement that were also attributed to Hameed.
