In an unprecedented act of internal purging, Pakistan’s all-powerful military has sentenced one of its most feared former commanders to 14 years in prison. A closed-door military court found ex-spy chief Faiz Hameed guilty of crimes including violating state secrets and interfering in politics, marking the first time a former head of the notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency has been court-martialed.
The stunning verdict, announced by the military’s public relations wing (ISPR) after a secretive 15-month trial, sends a seismic shock through the country’s power structure. It reveals a fierce, hidden battle within the army’s highest ranks and represents a brutal reckoning for an officer once considered untouchable.
The Charges: A “Violation of State Secrets” and Political Meddling
Lieutenant General (retired) Faiz Hameed, who led the ISI from 2019 to 2021, was tried on four explosive charges under the Pakistan Army Act: Involvement in political activities, violation of the Official Secrets Act, “which harmed the interest of the state”, misuse of power and government resources and causing harm to citizens.
The military’s terse statement added that his alleged role in “fomenting political agitation and instability” is being handled separately—a clear reference to the violent protests that erupted following the arrest of his political ally, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in May 2023. The exact evidence remains classified, tried behind closed doors in a process shielded from public scrutiny.
A Staunch Ally Falls with His Patron
Hameed was known as a staunch supporter of Imran Khan, taking early retirement shortly after Khan was ousted in a 2022 no-confidence vote. His sentencing is widely seen as the final act in the military’s campaign to dismantle Khan’s power base within its own ranks. It sends an unmistakable message: loyalty to any figure outside the military’s unified command is a punishable offence.
The ISI director is often called the second most powerful person in Pakistan, wielding immense influence over domestic politics and foreign policy. Hameed’s fall from the pinnacle of that power to a military prison cell underscores a dramatic and ruthless consolidation of control by the army’s current leadership.
A Secret Trial and a Shadowy Future
The military stated Hameed was given the right to a defence team and can appeal to the Supreme Court. However, the opacity of the military tribunal process casts a long shadow over the fairness of the proceedings.
The sentencing eliminates a key player from Pakistan’s perennial political chessboard and demonstrates the military’s determination to publicly cleanse its ranks of perceived disloyalty. But it also raises urgent questions about what secrets Hameed is accused of betraying and which political lines he is charged with crossing—questions that remain locked within the army’s secretive court system.
