Islamabad: After arresting former ISI Chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, the Pakistan Army has taken into custody 3 more retired military personnel for “fomenting instability at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests are continuing.”
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), which is the military spokesperson, did not identify these personnel or the exact reasons for the arrest but apparently they have been hauled up for being close to the former government of Imran Khan.
According to the ISPR statement, the three retired officers have been taken into military custody for “actions prejudicial to military discipline” in connection with the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) proceedings of Lt Gen Hameed.
“Further investigations of certain retired officers and their accomplices for fomenting instability at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests are continuing,” the statement said.
Earlier, in an unprecedented step, the army on Monday announced Lt Gen Hameed’s arrest on charges of violating the Army Act.
Lt Gen Hameed, who served as ISI head from June 2019 to October 2021, retired prematurely in December 2022 after his bid for the post of Army Chief failed and Lt Gen Asim Munir was appointed to the coveted and all-powerful post.
Lt Gen was considered to be a powerful military officer who enjoyed close association with Imran Khan.
He is strongly suspected to be involved in inciting mass unrest and violence in May last year following Khan’s arrest, when mobs even stormes the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Lt Gen Hameed is also believed to have tried to scuttle Gen Munir’s chances to head the Army.
His arrest is seen as retribution for those things.
However, the army is portraying that he has been arrested mainly in a 2017 case related to a housing scheme scandal, in which he is accused of threatening the owner of the project.
The army has cited a directive of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in November last year, which instructed Kanwar Moeez Khan, owner of Islamabad’s Top City housing society, to seek redressal of grievances against Gen Hameed through relevant channels, including the Ministry of Defence.
