Pakistan military court sentences former spy chief Faiz Hameed to 14 years

# Pakistan military court sentences former spy chief Faiz Hameed to 14 years

Pakistan’s military says a military court has sentenced retired Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, the former director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, to 14 years in prison after court-martial proceedings that lasted 15 months.

The military said Hameed was convicted on four charges: engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, misusing authority and government resources, and causing wrongful loss to individuals. It said the Field General Court Martial tried him under the Pakistan Army Act and that the proceedings met legal requirements.

Hameed was widely seen as close to former prime minister Imran Khan, who is himself serving multiple prison sentences. The AP report notes that Khan’s relationship with the military has been at the centre of Pakistan’s political turmoil since he was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

The military did not give additional factual detail about the alleged wrongful loss, but it said Hameed had full rights of defence and could appeal the verdict. That is important because the case is not just about punishment; it is also about how the military wants to signal discipline within its own ranks.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the verdict was based squarely on evidence presented during the trial. He called it a victory of truth and justice. A security analyst quoted by AP said the ruling showed the military leadership does not intend to let any officer, regardless of rank, engage in politics.

Hameed had been detained in 2024 after an internal probe linked to allegations surrounding the Top City project scam. The AP report says the arrest of such a high-profile retired officer was unusual in Pakistan, where the army wields significant influence and where detentions of senior or former officers are rare.

The verdict lands at a politically sensitive moment. Khan remains in prison, the military remains a dominant force in public life, and the case against Hameed adds another layer to the long-running tension between civilian politics and military authority.

The court’s finding on all four charges, and the sentence itself, give the military one of its most consequential internal discipline cases in recent years. It also closes the latest chapter in a file that had already drawn intense attention because of Hameed’s past role, his political associations and the rarity of a trial of this type.