ISLAMABAD: Three retired military personnel were taken into military custody in connection with court martial proceedings against former spymaster Faiz Hameed for his alleged involvement in victimising the owner of a private housing society, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.
According to the statement, three retired officers were under military custody for “actions prejudicial to military discipline”.
“In connection with the FGCM proceedings of Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed, three retired officers are also in military custody for their actions prejudicial to military discipline,” the military’s media affairs wing said.
“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 ISPR has neither revealed the names and ranks of the three retired officers nor disclosed when they were taken into custody.
In an unprecedented step, the army on Monday announced Gen Hameed’s arrest, the previous head of the premier Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, on allegations of violating the Army Act. According to a source, Gen Hameed was taken into custody from Rawalpindi when he was summoned for a meeting by a senior military official.
The move, prompted by allegations of misconduct levelled by the owner of a private housing society, shattered the long-standing perception that spy chiefs were untouchable in the country where generals have long wielded unparalleled influence.
The army cited a November 2023 directive from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, 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, as the basis for initiating action against the former spymaster.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar later addressed the developments, saying an institution had prioritised self-accountability and kicked off an investigation in that vein.“We think this act of self-accountability is positive and that it is a step that needs to be lauded, moving towards accountability and discord in the country being stopped.”
Tarar said every institution should be self-accountable, adding that it was very good that the military had initiated the process.
