Pakistan’s former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd), is facing fresh trouble as two retired brigadiers have turned approvers in a graft case against him, marking a dramatic escalation in the country’s first-ever court martial of a former spy chief.
Hameed, once a key ally of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, was last year indicted for political interference, misuse of state resources, corruption, and violations of the Official Secrets Act under rarely-used provisions of the Pakistan Army Act. He has been in military custody since.
Brigadiers Switch Sides
Retired Brigadiers Naeem Fakhar and Ghaffar, both long-time aides of Hameed, are now cooperating with investigators in the military’s probe into a real estate scandal. Both men served under Hameed during his controversial tenure as ISI chief.
- Fakhar was allegedly the “focal person” for a theme park linked to tycoon Malik Riaz of Bahria Town, Pakistan’s largest private developer. He is also accused of facilitating the rise of PTI’s Sardar Tanveer Ilyas as prime minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- Ghaffar, who oversaw ISI development projects, is linked to Bahria Town-funded works in Hameed’s hometown, Latifal near Chakwal, where plush roads and hospitals raised suspicions of quid pro quo favours.
Both officers are now testifying against Hameed in custody.
Case Against Hameed
The case stems from a 2017 ISI-led raid on Top City, a housing society near Islamabad, where valuables including cash and gold were seized on terrorism charges. The project’s owner, Kanwar Mooez Khan, was later acquitted and alleged that Hameed and his aides coerced him into paying 40 million rupees and bankrolling a private TV channel in exchange for partial return of assets.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan intervened in 2023, pushing the Defence Ministry to act. After an internal inquiry under Army Chief Asim Munir, Hameed was arrested.
Political and Military Fallout
Hameed’s downfall has been seen as part of the wider power struggle between the Pakistan Army and Imran Khan. Once favoured within the military, Hameed fell out of grace after Khan pushed for his elevation to Army Chief, a move opposed by then COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Hameed, famous for his 2021 photo sipping tea in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, was eventually sidelined. He retired in 2022 after Munir’s appointment as Army Chief, despite being in contention for the top job.
Meanwhile, Malik Riaz—also implicated in the Al Qadir Trust case involving Imran Khan—has fled Pakistan, reportedly refusing to turn approver against the former prime minister.
With two brigadiers now testifying, the case against Hameed has entered a decisive stage, marking an unprecedented test of accountability for Pakistan’s powerful military elite.
