SIALKOT:
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday directly linked former ISI chief Faiz Hameed to Nawaz Sharif’s removal from office in 2017, accusing the former spymaster of orchestrating a long-running political project that culminated in Imran Khan’s rise to power and inflicted “significant damage” on the country.
Sharpening his tone days after the rare conviction, the minister said that those who gambled with the country’s future for power had lost the right to be called Pakistanis, “whether they wore a uniform like Faiz or a Peshawari vest and sandals like Imran.”
He warned that new legal proceedings against Hameed were coming.
Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, Asif also went through the ruling party’s long list of protests and lamentations, alleging that Nawaz Sharif’s ouster was the product of a carefully crafted conspiracy to clear the way for PTI founder Imran Khan’s rise to power.
“The removal of Nawaz, the cases filed against him, the allegations and Imran’s coming to power, this entire project was carried out under the supervision of Faiz Hameed,” he said, adding that Hameed and his “partner” Imran Khan were co-responsible for destabilizing the country.
Referring to the 2018 general elections, he said that Hameed was “in charge of the Imran project” and claimed that “Faiz was the most important part of that government.”
“A former ISI chief has been convicted in a trial that lasted 15 months. There are still other charges for which court proceedings will be initiated soon.”
According to the minister, the former spy chief played a central role in the repression of political opponents during the PTI rule. “He used to threaten and imprison political opponents,” Asif said.
He further argued that Imran’s political “vision” was executed through Hameed, who was Imran’s main beneficiary. He called it a “shameful” chapter in Pakistan’s history.
Asif alleged that “bringing Imran to power, filing cases against Nawaz, exiling him, imprisoning his family and his party leaders and workers”, all were carried out under Hameed’s direction.
He claimed that the former ISI chief “was given the opportunity to rule Pakistan through Imran” and said parliament itself had been sidelined. “Decisions for the future of the country used to be made in the backyard of the prime minister’s house,” he said, adding that during that period legislation was handed down to lawmakers.
He said the project began to unravel after Hameed’s transfer, though he continued to facilitate Imran while serving as corps commander. Asif further accused Hameed of being involved in the violent riots on May 9, 2023.
“It was their planning, people from the institution also intervened, but the labor force was PTI workers,” he stated. “It was a joint initiative by General Faiz,” he added, before briefly correcting himself: “I still say general because it has only been four days since his title was revoked.”
The defense minister maintained that those now seeking to revive Imran’s political fortunes were operating on the foundations laid by Hameed. “The conspirators who today are trying to prop up Imran and return him to power, all these seeds were sown by Faiz.”
“These two personalities cannot be separated.”
Asif, who denounced the May 9 violence as an attack on the sanctity of the armed forces, compared it to the national pride following the Bunyan ul Marsoos military operation against India in May, which earned Pakistan international recognition. “Now imagine, if Faiz and Imran’s plans had succeeded, where would we be today?” asked.
“God forbid, if the Faiz-Imran nexus still existed, perhaps there would have been no need for war at all as they would have ensured the destruction of the country from within.”
The defense minister promised to continue the accountability process and said Pakistan’s enemies will be held accountable.
“Those who have put the country’s future at stake for power cannot be considered Pakistanis. Whether they wear uniform like Faiz or wear Peshawari vest and sandals like Imran,” he said.
