Pakistani government claims former spy chief Faiz Hameed was part of a conspiracy led by Imran Khan to spread unrest

ISLAMABAD, August 18: The Pakistani government has accused imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan of plotting a political conspiracy along with a former ISI chief and others to sow anarchy and discord in the country, according to media reports.

Follow Daily Excelsior Channel on WhatsApp

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed that the founder of Pakistan Justice Movement (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) was creating unrest across the country and former ISI chief Lt. General (retd) Faiz Hameed was involved in the conspiracy, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021 when Khan was prime minister, was arrested after responding to a private real estate developer's complaint of alleged abuse of office.
Later, other people were arrested in connection with the court-martial against Hameed, including three retired military officers.
At a press conference on Saturday, Tarar hinted that the scope of the investigation against Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hameed and his other “co-conspirators” would be expanded in the coming days, Dawn newspaper reported.
Tarar said the army conducted transparent investigations following Hameed's arrest as it has an internal accountability mechanism.
Referring to the arrests, the Information Minister claimed that Khan had conspired with these people to spread anarchy in the country.
“This was a political alliance led by the PTI founder, linked to General Faiz and other accomplices,” he said, adding that the scope of the investigation was being expanded.
“Whether someone is Saqib or Nisar, things will be done transparently,” he said, referring to former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, whom the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party accuses of propping up the PTI regime and targeting its political opponents.
Tarar claimed that evidence had emerged showing that Khan was “in touch” with these conspirators – at the time of the no-confidence vote and even after his detention – and that he continued to exchange messages with this “unholy political alliance”.
He stressed that other institutions should also show the same level of self-responsibility that the army has shown.
The Information Minister stressed that other institutions should also show the same self-responsibility that the army has shown.
Meanwhile, just days after distancing himself from the former intelligence chief and facing court-martial, Khan appeared to confirm claims that he and the retired general had a close bond.
Khan suggested that he and the former intelligence chief were close and said Hameed's transfer to the Peshawar Corps was part of a conspiracy against the PTI government, Dawn News reported.
Khan claimed that this was done by former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa at the behest of Nawaz Sharif.
Lt. Gen. (retd.) Hameed, who was considered extremely powerful when he headed the intelligence agency, was appointed to the coveted post when the then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt. Gen. Asim Munir was prematurely removed from his post.
At that time, it was reported that the then Prime Minister Imran Khan was not happy with Munir.
Later, the army decided to replace Hameed. Khan vehemently opposed this move and it is believed that this was the beginning of a deterioration in his relations with the powerful military.
Hameed took early retirement in November 2022, four months before his retirement date, after the current army chief took over. He was considered a confidant of the then army chief General Qamar Bajwa.
The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistani army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 76-year existence and has so far wielded considerable power in security and foreign policy matters. (Agencies)