In a significant move, Pakistan’s military has arrested three more retired officers in connection with the court martial of former spy chief Faiz Hameed. Hameed, who led the premier spy agency Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, faces charges of corruption and misuse of power. The arrests were made for “actions prejudicial to military discipline” and are part of an ongoing investigation into retired officers and their accomplices for “fomenting instability” and colluding with political interests.
Hameed’s court martial comes after the military completed an inquiry ordered by the Supreme Court into a complaint by a real estate developer. The developer accused Hameed of misusing his office to illegally occupy his housing scheme on the outskirts of Islamabad. Additionally, the military cited “multiple instances of violation of the Pakistan Army Act” following Hameed’s retirement.
The case has sparked attention due to Hameed’s high-profile role as ISI chief during the tenure of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan has said he did not want to relieve Hameed of his role at the spy agency after he was transferred elsewhere by his army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa. Khan’s aides and political analysts say the tussle over Hameed contributed to a fall-out between him and Bajwa, leading to his ouster in a parliamentary confidence vote early in 2022.
Pakistan’s military plays an outsized role in making or breaking governments, having directly ruled the nation for more than 30 years in its 77-year independent history. The military’s crackdown on corruption is a significant development, and Hameed’s court martial sets a precedent for holding high-ranking officials accountable for their actions.
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