Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has been taken into military custody, with the process of a Field General Court Martial also initiated against him.
Hameed was detained following findings from a court of inquiry conducted by the army, in compliance with a Supreme Court order, to investigate complaints related to a housing society. The court of inquiry, undertaken by the Pakistan Army, aimed to verify the complaints made in the Top City case against Hameed, as stated by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
As a result, disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed under the Pakistan Army Act. The military’s media wing also noted that several violations of the Pakistan Army Act post-retirement have been identified, leading to the commencement of the Field General Court Martial process against him.
On November 8, 2023, Moeez Ahmed Khan, the owner of Top City, filed a petition in the Supreme Court accusing Faiz Hameed of abusing his authority. The petition alleged that on May 12, 2017, ISI officials, acting on Hameed’s orders, raided Khan’s Top City office and home, stealing valuables, including gold ornaments. Khan also claimed that Hameed later contacted him to resolve the issue.
Given the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard the case. The Supreme Court noted the gravity of the matter, expressing concern that such serious allegations could damage the institution’s reputation, and emphasized that the issue could not be ignored.
The Supreme Court directed the attorney general to investigate the matter further. In his plea to the apex court’s human rights cell (HRC) in November last year, the Top City owner sought action against the former ISI chief.
Khan alleged that after the raid, he and five of his colleagues were detained. He urged the federal government to take action against Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, his brother Najaf, and others.
The Supreme Court bench dismissed the petition on November 8, 2023, directing the petitioner to approach the appropriate forum against the retired general. The written order stated that the applicant accused Lt Gen (retd) Hameed, then an active ISI officer, of misusing his position to commit crimes against the applicant and his family, including:
- Orchestrating raids by ISI and Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) on the applicant’s residence and business offices
- Detaining the applicant and his family members
- Stealing property from the applicant and his family
- Forcing the applicant to transfer his business, Dynast Associate/Top City Housing Scheme, to Hameed’s nominees
- Filing false cases against the applicant, his family, and employees
- Abusing his power as an ISI officer
The order noted that the additional attorney general (AAG) outlined various legal remedies available to the applicant, including approaching the Ministry of Defence or filing criminal and civil cases for damages and malicious prosecution.
Lt Gen (retd) Hameed, who sought early retirement in November 2022, was among the senior army generals shortlisted by the GHQ for the top military positions of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. He had also served as Peshawar and Bahawalpur corps commander before his retirement.
