A Pakistani military court on Thursday announced that it had sentenced Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, the former head of the country’s intelligence agency, to 14 years in prison after convicting him on charges of corruption, political meddling and misuse of authority.
The verdict marks a rare moment in Pakistan’s history. It is the first time that a former chief of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, or I.S.I., has been prosecuted and imprisoned by the military establishment. The sentencing caps the dramatic fall of a spy chief who once wielded immense power in Pakistani politics, where the military has long acted as kingmaker in the country’s turbulent history.
General Hameed, who was arrested in August 2024, was convicted on four charges, including engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, misusing government resources and causing wrongful financial loss, according to a statement from the military’s public relations wing. The court sentenced him to hard labor, known as “rigorous imprisonment” under Pakistani law.
His prosecution has been widely viewed as part of a continuing crackdown by the military on allies of Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister, who was in office from 2018 to 2022 and handpicked General Hameed to lead the spy agency.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who took command of the army in November 2022, has been consolidating his power. Last month, Parliament approved a constitutional amendment that handed Field Marshal Munir expanded powers and lifetime legal immunity. The changes put him in charge of all military branches and reduced the independence of the country’s highest court by shifting key oversight functions away from the judiciary.
Lawmakers allied with Field Marshal Munir called the changes a stability measure, but critics say it concentrates far too much authority in one office.
Mian Ali Ashfaq, a lawyer for General Hameed, said he plans to appeal the conviction. “We are in the process of preparing and filing an application to get the copy of the judgment to file an appeal against the decision,” Mr. Ashfaq said.
The military said in its statement that a military court would deal separately with General Hameed’s alleged “involvement in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cohorts with political elements,” suggesting that additional proceedings may be underway.
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