A military court in Pakistan has sentenced former spymaster Faiz Hameed to 14 years in prison, marking an unprecedented action against a onetime rival of army chief Asim Munir. Hameed, who served as director of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, a role widely regarded as Pakistan’s second most powerful military position, faced four charges, including engaging in political activities, misuse of power and government resources, and violating the Official Secrets Act, according to a Thursday statement from the Armed Forces. The statement did not provide further details. Hameed’s lawyers were not immediately available for comment, and he retains the right to appeal.
Under former prime minister Imran Khan, Hameed was seen as a potential contender for the role of chief of army staff, the country’s most influential post, until Khan’s government was removed in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Pakistan’s military has directly ruled the country for roughly half of its post-independence history, and its intelligence services, led by the ISI, continue to exert significant influence over domestic political affairs. Hameed had succeeded Munir as ISI chief after Khan dismissed Munir in 2019, just eight months into his tenure. Munir later rose to become army chief in November 2022 and has since consolidated power, becoming Pakistan’s most dominant military leader since the end of Pervez Musharraf’s rule in 2008.
Parliament recently granted Munir lifetime immunity and elevated him to Pakistan’s second-ever field marshal in May, giving him unified command over three branches of the Armed Forces. Lawmakers also extended his term to 2030, with the possibility of a further five-year extension. Opposition politicians and human rights groups have accused Munir and his allies of waging a sweeping crackdown on political rivals, including those aligned with Imran Khan. Ayesha Siddiqa, senior fellow at King’s College London and author of a book on Pakistan’s military economy, said, “This appears to be part of the broader campaign by Munir and his political partners to bring down Imran Khan and stifle his perceived allies.”
The military noted that Hameed, arrested in August 2024, faces additional investigations, including allegations that he “foment[ed]” instability with “political elements,” a reference widely interpreted as linked to his past ties with Khan. The former prime minister, imprisoned since 2023 on multiple charges, remains highly popular despite being characterised as a national security threat by the military. Another pending charge against Hameed involves a land development case dating back to 2017, in which he is accused of ordering a raid on the office of a housing society executive. A written order from a November 2023 hearing stated that the accusations “are of an extremely serious nature, and if true, undoubtedly would undermine the reputation of the federal government, the Armed Forces, ISI and Pakistan Rangers [a paramilitary law-enforcement body], therefore, they cannot be left unattended.”
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