Islamabad, Sep 5 (PTI) Pakistan Army on Thursday said that former spymaster Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed was facing court martial proceedings “based on concrete evidence” but remained non-committal about action against former prime minister Imran Khan under army regulations.
During a press conference in Rawalpindi on security and other issues, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, also promised Hameed a fair trial and termed his court martial as an example of the military’s self-accountability.
“Following a detailed inquiry based on concrete evidence, the Pakistan Army clearly informed on August 12, 2024 that the relevant officer (Hameed) had violated sections of the Army Act,” Chaudhry, who is also the army spokesperson, said.
When asked about Khan’s party leaders expressing fear that the former prime minister could be handed over to the army or proceeded against under the army laws as the court martial proceedings against Hameed were going ahead, he was non-committal in his response.
“It is a sub-judice matter and your question is also hypothetical. But I will definitely say that according to the Army Act, if any person uses an individual or individuals, who are working under the Army Act, for personal or political objectives, and if there is evidence too, then the law takes its own course,” he said.
Faiz is considered close to Khan and worked as head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during the latter’s tenure as the prime minister.
On August 21, Khan, incarcerated in the Adiala Jail, demanded an open court trial for Hameed if his links with the May 9 violence were established.
Khan’s remarks came two days after he expressed fear that authorities were coercing the arrested former spymaster to become a state witness against him (Khan) in the May 9, 2023 riots.
After Khan was arrested in an accountability case last year, hundreds and thousands of his followers and workers of his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Jinnah House (Lahore Corps Commander House), Mianwali Airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad on May 9.
The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi too was attacked by the mob for the first time.
Stating that the army’s self-accountability system was extremely comprehensive, transparent and was a strong process, the ISPR DG said, “This process of self-accountability works on solid proof and evidence instead of allegations. Whenever there is a violation of the laws and regulations present in the army, this self-accountability system comes into effect speedily without any discrimination.” Hameed had retired before the incident but his opponent alleged that he was active even after retirement to promote Khan and influence his PTI party.
Elaborating on Hameed’s case, the Army spokesperson said that even after his retirement, several instances of violation of the Army Act had emerged, prompting the army to launch general court martial proceedings against him (Hameed).
“There is a clear consensus within the army that it is a national, state-owned institution, which must be prevented from being used against the completion of goals related to specific political agendas,” he said. PTI SH NPK ASH NPK NPK
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