PTI founder labels ex-spymaster’s arrest as military’s internal matter with no links to PTI or May 9 riots
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has labeled the arrest of former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed as an internal military issue, distancing his party from the matter.
Following a meeting with senior lawyers at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Khan’s legal representative, Intezar Panjutha, addressed the media on Tuesday. He disclosed that the PTI founder had urged the public to peacefully protest tonight for the sake of freedom, stressing the importance of taking to the streets for the country. Panjutha conveyed Khan’s concerns over the mounting pressure on the Supreme Court, the disillusionment among the youth, and the deteriorating conditions in Pakistan, comparing them unfavorably with those in Bangladesh.
He added that Khan believed it was time for Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to step back, highlighting that PTI’s three seats were allegedly taken away the previous day. Regarding Gen Faiz’s arrest, Panjutha quoted Khan as saying it was purely a military matter with no links to PTI. He further clarified that there had been no political connection between Khan and Gen Faiz, claiming that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had replaced Gen Faiz after making a deal with Nawaz Sharif.
Khan also suggested that if General Faiz’s arrest was related to the events of May 9, it would be an opportune moment to form a judicial commission and bring the CCTV footage of the day to light, Panjutha noted. In an unprecedented move, the country’s former spymaster, Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, was detained by military authorities and court martial proceedings were initiated against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority, and violating the Pakistan Army Act, as announced by the ISPR on Monday.
General (retd) Faiz Hameed was regarded as a close aide to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who appointed him as the head of ISI during his tenure. The ISI chief is generally considered the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan after the head of the army. Hameed’s tenure followed the abrupt removal of then-ISI chief and current Army Chief, General Asim Munir, reportedly because he presented evidence alleging that Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and close aide, Farah Gogi, were involved in corruption.
It was speculated and widely reported that Imran wanted to appoint Hameed as the next Army Chief after General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s retirement in November 2022. He was one of the six generals whose names were forwarded by GHQ to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for consideration for the top military position in 2022. Khan, who was ousted from office through a vote of no confidence in April 2022, claimed that his removal was orchestrated by the military, which the military has denied.
He went on to wage a campaign of defiance against the military, and his arrest in May 2023 for graft sparked nationwide protests, which turned violent and saw unprecedented anger directed at army installations. It was met with a sweeping crackdown against his party, which went on to win the most seats in February’s general elections despite being forced to run as independent candidates.
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