ISLAMABAD: While the government has hailed the military’s decision to uphold the rule of law by initiating court martial proceedings against former spymaster Faiz Hameed for his alleged involvement in victimising the owner of a private housing society, the PTI preferred to stay rather reserved, calling it an internal issue of the army.

PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the military’s actions were internal. He stated that the Pakistan Army is a disciplined and organised institution with its own procedures for dealing with both serving and retired officers.

However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Senator Afnan, Rana Sanaullah and PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira were more open in their views on the move, with Mr Tarar calling it a “right decision”.

PML-N leaders expect multiple charges will be proven by deeper probe; Kh Asif sees Faiz’s hand behind May 9 events

“Action against Faiz Hameed would have been taken on the basis of investigation,” the minister said.

Senator Siddiqui said so far only a brief announcement had been made by the military spokesman regarding ex-ISI DG. “When investigation will go forward, his (Faiz’s) political meddling will also be proved,” he said.

He said there was a room in the parliament where a military official used to sit on the directives of the then DG ISI Faiz Hameed to monitor proceedings of the parliament. He quoted a statement of PTI founder Imran Khan that Faiz Hameed had supported the PTI inside the parliament by getting legislation passed and meeting the required number of MNAs in the National Assembly.

He said Faiz Hameed also remained involved in the general elections by backing the PTI.

The senator said the former ISI chief had controlled the media, politicians and tried to control judiciary as well. “He (Faiz) thought that he was above the law,” he said.

Senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said some allegations must have been proved against Faiz Hamid, which led to his arrest.

He alleged that Faiz Hameed was involved in “political meddling” and on his instruction, the Faizabad sit-in was staged by a religious group, choking the main arteries of the federal capital for weeks.

Mr Sanaullah said apparently action against him was taken in the light of the Supreme Court’s order in the private housing scheme, Top City, whose owner claimed to have been robbed of huge cash and gold during a raid on the instruction of Faiz Hameed in 2017.

Hailing the military’s internal accountability system, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said an inquiry had confirmed multiple violations by Faiz Hameed that prompted the initiation of disciplinary proceedings under the Pakistan Army Act.

He said if the military had decided to proceed with such measures against a high-ranking officer, it indicated the severity of the offences committed. Mr Kaira also hailed the Supreme Court’s role in ensuring that both the government and the military establishment adhere to the rule of law.

In an appearance on Geo News, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said: “Gen Faiz has definitely had a hand in the events on the political scene since his retirement. Knowing him a little bit, he could not abstain and had to muddy the waters.

“For a person who exercised immense and unlimited power to take a backseat causes ulcers to them.”

Mr Asif reiterated that Gen Hameed had a more “direct” role in events since his retirement and claimed the former spymaster “could have had a role in what happened on May 9”, referring to the nationwide riots that broke out last year on PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest. “

“I can’t say with certainty, but events do point the finger towards him.”

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2024