Islamabad: Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has labelled the arrest of former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, as an internal military issue, distancing his party from the controversy, as reported by The Express Tribune.
While speaking to the media after a meeting with senior lawyers at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, Imran Khan’s legal representative, Intezar Panjutha, said that the PTI chief had called for peaceful protests that night for the sake of freedom, emphasizing the importance of demonstrations for the country.
Panjutha also conveyed Imran Khan’s concerns about the mounting pressure on the Supreme Court, the disillusionment among the youth, and worsening conditions in Pakistan, which Khan felt were similar to those in Bangladesh, The Express Tribune reported.
He noted that Khan suggested it might be time for Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to step down and mentioned that PTI’s three seats had allegedly been taken away the previous day.
Regarding ISI DG Faiz’s arrest, Panjutha quoted the PTI chief as saying that it was purely a military matter with no connection to the party. He further clarified that there had been no political connection between Khan and Gen Faiz, alleging that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had replaced Gen Faiz following a deal with Nawaz Sharif, The Express Tribune reported.
Khan also suggested that if there was a connection between Faiz’s arrest and the events of May 9, it would be an appropriate time to set up a judicial commission and bring the CCTV footage from that day to light, Panjutha pointed out, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was detained by the military, and court-martial proceedings were initiated against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority, and violating the Pakistan Army Act, as announced by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday, The Express Tribune reported.
Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was known to be a close associate of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was appointed as the head of ISI during Khan’s tenure. The ISI chief is considered the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan after the head of the army.
Hameed’s tenure followed the abrupt removal of then-ISI chief and current Army chief General Asim Munir, reportedly because he presented evidence alleging that Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and his close associate, Farah Gogi, were involved in corruption, as reported by The Express Tribune.
It was also speculated and reported that Imran Khan wanted Hameed to be the next Army chief after General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s retirement in November 2022. Hameed was among the list of six generals whose names were forwarded by GHQ to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for consideration for the top military position in 2022, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)
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