In a move that has sent shockwaves through Pakistan’s military and political circles, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed has been sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment by a military court. The verdict, issued on December 11, 2025, marks a historic first: never before in the country’s 78-year history has a former chief of the powerful ISI been prosecuted and jailed by his own institution. The Field General Court Martial found Hameed guilty on multiple charges, including engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, misusing authority and government resources, and causing wrongful losses to individuals—allegations that, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), were proven after 15 months of proceedings under the Pakistan Army Act.
Hameed’s prosecution is widely viewed as part of a sweeping crackdown on allies of Imran Khan, the former prime minister who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and is currently imprisoned. The military’s statement, while terse, left little doubt about the gravity of the case: “The involvement of the convict in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cahoots with political elements and in certain other matters is separately being dealt with,” said ISPR. Yet, the specifics of the alleged violations remain shrouded in ambiguity, a hallmark of Pakistan’s military justice system.
Faiz Hameed’s rise and fall is emblematic of the shifting power dynamics within Pakistan’s armed forces. Born in 1968 in Latifal village of Chakwal District, Punjab, Hameed joined the Pakistan Military Academy in 1987 and was commissioned in the Baloch Regiment. His military career saw a rapid ascent: after serving as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 16th Infantry Division and later as Commander of the XXXI Corps, he was appointed Director General of the ISI in June 2019 by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan. During his tenure, Hameed oversaw ISI operations at a time of regional upheaval, including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and was widely perceived as Khan’s closest ally in the military establishment (as reported by 5PillarsUK and Asianet News).
Hameed’s connection to Khan, however, would ultimately become his undoing. As reported by Asianet News, his early retirement in December 2022 came just weeks after Gen. Asim Munir was appointed as the new army chief—a clear signal that the winds at Rawalpindi’s General Headquarters had shifted. Hameed’s arrest in August 2024 followed accusations by a private housing society, which claimed he had arranged an illegal raid on the owner’s offices and residence. Yet, as Supreme Court documents and Islamabad insiders suggested, the charges may have been a pretext for a broader purge of officers perceived as loyal to Khan.
The charges against Hameed extended beyond the immediate allegations of abuse of authority and misuse of resources. According to the ISPR’s official statement and corroborated by multiple outlets, the former ISI chief was accused of engaging in political activities and violating the Official Secrets Act in ways that jeopardized state security. Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, celebrated the verdict, posting on X that Hameed’s “violations of the Official Secrets Act, the illegitimate use of authority, misusing one’s office to harm people, and getting involved in politics to spread chaos -- these things were all proven.” Tarar went further, asserting that Hameed “interfered with politics” by acting as a political adviser to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, even after his retirement.
Hameed’s ties to Imran Khan have long been an open secret. During his tenure as ISI chief, he was widely credited with using the agency’s political wing to support the PTI and influence domestic politics, a role that made him both powerful and controversial. As India Today and The Print reported, Hameed even held several rounds of backchannel talks with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval between 2020 and 2021, which contributed to a renewed ceasefire pledge on the Line of Control.
But in Pakistan’s military-dominated political landscape, loyalty is a double-edged sword. As General Asim Munir consolidated power, those associated with Khan’s legacy found themselves increasingly isolated. Analysts and insiders alike have described Hameed’s prosecution as less about legal accountability and more about sending a message to the fractured remnants of PTI and dissenters within the army. “The only real difference here is which political figure he was supporting — and whether that figure aligns with Asim Munir’s ambitions,” observed Asianet News.
The military’s handling of the case has raised questions about transparency and due process. While the ISPR announced that the proceedings began on August 12, 2024, and lasted 15 months, it offered few details about what state secrets were allegedly violated or precisely how Hameed’s actions harmed the state. Such opacity has fueled speculation that the case was as much about internal discipline as it was about legal wrongdoing. The fact that a former ISI chief—long considered the second most powerful figure in Pakistan’s military hierarchy—could be brought down in this manner is seen by many as an unprecedented assertion of control by the current military leadership.
Hameed’s family background also reflects the deep military roots that characterize Pakistan’s power structure. Born into a family from Chakwal, a district known for producing military commanders, Hameed has three brothers, including Najaf Hameed, a land revenue officer in their hometown. His rapid rise through the army’s ranks was facilitated by close working relationships with previous army chiefs, notably Qamar Javed Bajwa, under whom he served as Director General of the Counterintelligence Wing of the ISI before being promoted to Lieutenant General.
The broader implications of Hameed’s sentencing are hard to miss. As reported by multiple outlets, the case is widely seen as part of a broader purge of Imran Khan loyalists within the military under Asim Munir’s leadership. The message is clear: in today’s Pakistan, loyalty to the wrong political figure can carry the harshest of sentences. The army’s own unease is evident in the vagueness of its public statements and the unprecedented nature of the prosecution. For many observers, Hameed’s conviction is not just a legal punishment but a warning to anyone who might challenge the current power structure.
Imran Khan himself has not remained silent. This month, he wrote, “My wife and I have been imprisoned on fabricated charges at his command,” referring to Gen. Asim Munir. The army’s spokesman responded by branding Khan a “delusional person” and a “national security threat.” The bitter rivalry between Khan and Munir continues to shape Pakistan’s political landscape, with Hameed’s fate serving as a stark reminder of the consequences of falling out of favor with the country’s real power brokers.
As Pakistan faces a period of uncertainty and internal strife, the sentencing of Faiz Hameed stands as a vivid symbol of the fierce power struggles that define the nation’s military and political life. Whether this marks a new era of accountability or simply another chapter in the ongoing saga of military dominance remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: in Pakistan, the shadows cast by men in uniform still loom large over the corridors of power.
