RAWALPINDI: Former intelligence chief Faiz Hameed has been taken into military custody and the process for his court martial has been initiated in connection with the Top City housing scheme scandal, the army’s media wing said on Monday.
Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) said “Complying with the order of Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry, was undertaken by Pakistan Army, to ascertain correctness of complaints in Top City case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd)”
The military had reportedly formed an inquiry committee in April to investigate allegations of misuse of authority against the former head of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
Media reports had said the committee was formed by the military as a gesture of self-accountability and would be headed by a serving major general.
They had said the committee was formed in the light of directives of the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Defence.
In its written order issued on November 14, the apex court had said that allegations of an “extremely serious nature” against ex-spymaster retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed “cannot be left unattended” as they would undermine the reputation of the country’s institutions if they were proven to be true.
The written order had said: “The allegations 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, therefore, they cannot be left unattended.”
The management of Top City, a private housing scheme, had levelled grave allegations against the former ISI chief, claiming that he had orchestrated a raid on the offices and residence of its owner, Moeez Khan.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court had asked the owner of the housing society to approach the relevant quarters, including the defence ministry, for the redressal of his grievances against the former spymaster and his aides.
The newly constituted inquiry committee will prepare its report in the light of its findings and present it to the relevant authorities, the reports had said
In March 2023, then-interior minister Rana Sanaullah said that a probe was underway against the ex-ISI boss and his brother over alleged corruption and accumulating assets beyond means.
In March 2024, a Rawalpindi court had sent retired naib tehsildar Najaf Hameed, brother of the former spymaster, to Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand. Najaf, along with co-accused persons, had sought pre-arrest bail in the FIR registered with the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi. The FIR had alleged that former minister for mineral resources Hafiz Ammar Yasir acquired properties worth billions of rupees in the name of benamidars.
