In a rare conviction, former spymaster Faiz Hameed was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years rigorous imprisonment under the Army Act.
Hameed, who served as the chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 2019 to 2021, was under trial since August last year.
The statement released by the military’s media affairs wing stated Hameed was found guilty of charges related to engaging in political activities, violation of the Official Secret Act detrimental to safety and interest of the state, misuse of authority and government resources and causing wrongful loss to persons.
However, his troubles may not be over as the statement added that his “involvement of [the] convict in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cohorts with political elements and in certain other matters is separately being dealt with”.
Here is what analysts and politicians have to say.
‘Took political engineering to its peak’
Senior journalist Shahzeb Khanzada, while speaking to Geo News, was of the opinion that “Pakistan has always had a problem of political engineering, but Faiz Hameed took it to its peak”.
“He set a precedent for manipulating the judiciary,” Khanzada said, recalling the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The journalist also held Hameed responsible for “harming the country, democracy, media, judiciary, and his own institution”.
Khanzada noted that out of the four charges mentioned in the statement released by the ISPR today, “legal proceedings against him regarding his involvement in politics remain to be seen”.
“Faiz Hameed is a character in Pakistan’s history who left no stone unturned in harming the country, democracy, and in misusing his authority,” Khanzada added.
‘Good beginning’
Journalist Mubashir Zaidi, reacting to the decision, said that Hameed’s conviction was a “good beginning”.
“Life sentencing of former ISI chief Gen Faiz Hameed for involvement in politics is a good beginning. There shouldn’t be any room for the military’s involvement in politics,” he said.
‘Just the beginning’
Senator Faisal Vawda hailed the decision, stating that “it was only the beginning” as charges pertaining to May 9 riots still remained to be seen.
Speaking to Geo News, Vawda thanked the Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for “removing the filth” from his own institution, stressing that the move had laid down the “foundation for self-accountability”.
He further said that those responsible for facilitating violent protests in the country on May 9 would also be weeded out.
He cautioned that if the armed forces were “not sparing one of their own, then do you think the others will stay safe?”
“This is just the beginning,” he said, adding that “a lot of charges were still pending”.
“And within the radius of the charges will be the PTI, and their leaders who think they are bigger than Pakistan, the judges from that time, and people who have now distanced themselves.
“It will be a long, winding process of justice,” the senator warned.
‘No one should be a sacred cow’
Former Jamaat-i-Islami senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan also hailed the conviction, questioning if “similar action will be taken against other generals too”.
In a post on X, he said, “It’s a very good thing that a decision has been taken against a general … no one should be a sacred cow, whether it be a judge, a general, a bureaucrat, or a politician.”
He called for “transparent, fair and public” accountability to prevail.
‘Far-reaching impact on politics’
Journalist Mazhar Abbas, in a post on social media platform X, said that today’s decision was likely to have a “far-reaching impact on Pakistani politics”.
“One has to wait and see what follows next. Today’s decision would certainly have a far-reaching impact on Pakistan’s politics. Can’t say but perhaps, he still has a right to appeal to the Supreme Court,” Abbas said.
“We still await to see the details of this important trial and verdict,” he added.
‘How the mighty fall’
Columnist Nadeem Farooq Paracha, in a post on X, said that the former spymaster had “used his position to cultivate a network of politicians, journalists and judges”.
“The expectation of a ‘revolution’ on May 9, 2023, shaped by this network, strengthened the fantasy of IK’s ‘inevitable’ return,” Paracha said.
“The fielding set by him has now been dismantled. How the mighty fall,” he added.
‘A positive development’
Senior lawyer Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon termed the decision a “positive development” while speaking to Geo News.
“It is a positive development that the army is holding even a lieutenant general accountable, as it strengthens the overall accountability system,” he said.
Bhoon added that the “decision was made on the basis of an internal accountability process, and that all provisions of the Army Act and all legal formalities were fully observed”.
“This also sends a message to other institutions that, whether the matter concerns the judiciary or the bureaucracy, the same standards should be followed,” he said.
“If someone is found guilty of corruption or of misusing their authority, it is encouraging to see that they are being punished accordingly.
“If other departments adopt similar procedures, the country will have a much stronger system of accountability and justice,” he added.
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