LAHORE: It has been revealed that Lieutenant General (Retd.) Faiz Hameed, the former head of ISI, who is now facing court-martial, was acting as the de facto head of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) before his arrest. According to sources, all senior PTI leaders, under the direction of Imran Khan, were taking instructions from Faiz Hameed. Sources claim that from Barrister Gohar Khan to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Imran Ayub Khan, all PTI leaders would seek guidance from Faiz on a daily basis before speaking on any issue. Faiz Hameed was working as the chief strategist for PTI in the absence of Imran Khan.
Sources also state that despite being in jail, Imran Khan remained in constant contact with Faiz Hameed and was running party affairs on his advice. It has been reported that the plan to attack military installations on May 9, 2023, was also devised by Faiz Hameed with Imran Khan’s consultation and approval. Thus, if Faiz Hameed confesses to his involvement, it will be impossible for Imran Khan to avoid court-martial charges for conspiring on May 9.
It is important to note that under the Pakistan Army Act, General Faiz was prohibited from participating in political activities for five years after his retirement, but he repeatedly violated this restriction. Senior journalist Ansar Abbasi has confirmed that Faiz Hameed played a central role in running and strategizing for PTI after his retirement. Sources claim that the former general advised PTI leadership on how to keep the party politically active. Communication between General Faiz and Imran Khan was facilitated through various channels, including some members of the prison staff, who have already recorded their statements confirming the relationship and regular communication between the two.
It is further reported that General Faiz Hameed has been involved in political interactions with PTI, a party that has targeted the military and its top leadership over the past two years.
Sources say that Faiz Hameed, who was arrested in connection with the Top City Housing Society scandal, will also face action for violating the restriction on engaging in political activities within five years of retirement. He is also accused of using PTI to become the Army Chief, and when he failed to secure this position, he allegedly conspired with Imran Khan to orchestrate the May 9 attacks to incite a rebellion within the military. Military authorities had repeatedly warned General Faiz about his objectionable activities post-retirement, but he refused to stop.
After Imran Khan’s arrest, General Faiz maintained direct or indirect contact with him. However, when news of Faiz’s arrest and court-martial broke, Imran first called for an open trial for Faiz and later disowned him.
Commenting on his relationship with the former ISI chief, former Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed that he had not been in contact with Faiz since his removal from the ISI post. Imran also claimed that every general becomes “zero” after retirement. However, official sources refute Imran’s claims and possess irrefutable evidence obtained after the arrest of senior officials from Adiala Jail. This evidence includes Nokia phones that Imran Khan allegedly used to communicate with his chief strategist, Faiz Hameed.
