Pakistan ex-ISI chief jailed: Faiz Hameed convicted after court martial; handed 14 years in prison

A Pakistani military court has sentenced former inter-services intelligence (ISI) director general Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed to 14 years in prison after a 15-month-long court-martial on multiple charges, including political interference and violations of the official secrets act.The Field General Court Martial, held under the Pakistan army act, found Hameed guilty on four counts - engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and state resources, violation of the official secrets act, and causing wrongful loss to individuals. The military did not identify who suffered such losses. Officials said Hameed was provided full legal rights and representation during the proceedings.

He retains the right to appeal.Hameed, once considered a close confidant of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, had been detained in 2024 after an internal investigation linked to the Top City housing project near Islamabad. Until Thursday's announcement, neither the charges nor details of the probe had been formally disclosed by the government or the military.Security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali told AP that the verdict followed “a lengthy investigation that gave the former ISI chief ample opportunity to defend himself.”

He added: “The decision signals the military leadership’s intent that no officer, regardless of rank, will be allowed to engage in politics, and Hameed’s case has been made an example for all retired officers.”Hameed’s downfall marks a rare instance of a high-ranking former military official facing such a stiff sentence in Pakistan, where the army holds significant institutional influence and senior-level prosecutions are uncommon.His political proximity to Imran Khan had long drawn attention. Khan - who was ousted in 2022 through a no-confidence vote and has since criticized the military and political leadership for his removal - is serving multiple jail terms on graft and other charges. The military, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and the US have all denied Khan’s claim that they engineered his exit.