- Senator Vawda says PTI founder is next to be held accountable.
- He adds that former COAS Bajwa showed “negligence, incompetence”.
- Asif says more cases could be filed against the former ISI chief.
Senator Faisal Vawda on Thursday claimed that court-martialed former ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid was going to testify against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, intensifying legal woes for the latter.
Former PTI leader Vawda made these claims while speaking on Geographic news “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath” program said Hamid will also present evidence against the jailed former prime minister.
The Field General Court Martial (FGCM) today sentenced the former top spy to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment “on four charges related to participation in political activities and violation of the Official Secrecy Law,” according to Inter-Services Public Relations.
He insisted that the PTI founder seemed firmly “caught in the legal pressure” arising from the May 9 cases, and warned that the process would intensify.
The events of May 9 refer to the 2023 riots that were triggered by the arrest of the PTI founder in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises in a corruption case.
During the protests, miscreants attacked civil and military installations, including the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
“The control of the law will not stop here,” he said, adding that Hamid’s 14-year sentence “will not be reduced.”
Vawda further alleged that providing details about the military facilities before the events of May 9 “was the responsibility of Faiz Hamid.”
“Once the matter is clarified, the first number is that of the PTI and its founder,” he said.
Discussing the role of former army chief, retired general Qamar Javed Bajwa, Vawda said Bajwa had shown “negligence and incompetence” but then attempted to remove Hamid after realizing the implications.
However, he said Bajwa had been deemed “exonerated”, meaning “there will be no action against him”.
Speaking on the same programme, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that the events of May 9 were a “joint plan” involving the former ISI chief and the PTI founder.
He claimed that the violence was aimed at “nullifying the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir”.
Asif said the PTI founder “could not have carried out the May 9 [riots] alone,” stating that Hamid maintained his influence even after his retirement. He added that more cases could still be filed against him.
The minister argued that the civilian authority to appoint the army chief had never been questioned in the past, but insisted that former army chief Bajwa had used pressure and threats to block Munir’s appointment.
He further claimed that Bajwa initially pushed for Hamid to become army chief and then proposed other names to disrupt the process.
