Lt Gen (R) Faiz Hameed, former Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), received a conviction and 14-year prison sentence on several serious charges. He also faces charges for retaining classified documents after retirement.
Based on reporting by Senior Journalist Ansar Abbasi in The News and information from sources, additional context on these charges has emerged. According to an informed source, a specific conviction under the Official Secrets Act concerns the unauthorised retention of classified official documents. This occurred after his retirement.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, announced the conviction on four counts but did not provide granular details. The charges are: engaging in political activities; violating the Official Secrets Act in a manner prejudicial to state security; misusing authority and government resources; and causing wrongful loss to individuals.
Read: Military Court Sentences Former ISI DG Faiz Hameed to 14 Years Rigorous Imprisonment: ISPR
The charge under the Official Secrets Act concerned the former spymaster. He kept classified documents in his personal possession after retirement, without legal authority. The precise nature of these documents was not disclosed.
The conviction for political activities stemmed from his interactions with politicians following his retirement. Reports indicate that Lt Gen (R) Faiz Hamid maintained contact with approximately 50 politicians. Most of these politicians are members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This contravened the 2023 amendments to the Pakistan Army Act. The Act bars officers from sensitive postings from any political activity for five years after retirement. Sources indicate he received multiple warnings about this conduct before his arrest.
Read: Ex-ISI Chief Faiz Hameed Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison by Military Court
A significant portion of the misuse-of-authority charge relates to the already-public Top City housing society case. The case originated from a petition filed in the Supreme Court by the society’s incumbent CEO.
The petition alleged that in 2017, officials from the Pakistan Rangers and ISI, under Gen Faiz’s purview, raided the project’s offices and the owner’s residence. This was in connection with a terrorism case. The petition claimed valuables, including gold and cash, were seized. It further alleged that after the owner’s acquittal in the terrorism case, intermediaries connected to Gen Faiz sought a settlement. This involved a cash payment and the sponsorship of a private media network. The Supreme Court directed the petitioner to seek redress from the relevant forums. These included the Defence Ministry.
 Faiz Hamid was convicted of 17 years in prison, also facing charges including retaining classified documents post-retirement.){kind=link}