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According to CCTV, on August 12, local time, the Pakistani military said that Fazl Hamid, the former head of the Pakistani Intelligence Agency, had been detained according to law and the military had initiated a military court trial against him. It was reported that this was the first time in the country's history that a military court trial had been initiated against a former head of the Intelligence Agency.

In a statement officially issued by the Pakistan Armed Forces Public Relations Department, the military said: "Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken against Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid in accordance with relevant regulations." The statement also pointed out, "In addition, several cases of violation of Pakistan Army Law after his retirement have been identified. The military court has formally initiated relevant procedures and has detained Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid in military custody."

It is reported that the arrest was due to Hamid's suspected involvement in a housing project extortion case during the administration of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The notice did not specify the specific time of the arrest, but only emphasized that "appropriate disciplinary action" was taken against Hamid in accordance with relevant internal military regulations and procedures.

Accused of corruption and money laundering

His brother was detained for a huge corruption case

In March 2023, the then Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated that Faiz Hamid and his brother were under investigation for corruption charges and assets far exceeding their legal sources of income.

In November 2023, the developer of the housing project Top City submitted a proposal to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which explicitly requested a comprehensive investigation of Faiz Hamid. The company stated that Hamid had long been suspected of being involved in illegal land occupation and corruption involving the housing project. The company also accused him of abusing his power while serving as director of the Intelligence Bureau and planning a raid on the private residence and office of Muiz Khan, the owner of the housing project.

Muiz Khan himself claimed that under the instruction of Hamid, Pakistani Rangers and Intelligence Bureau officers raided his office and residence in July 2017, confiscated valuables including gold and diamonds, and claimed that he was related to a "terrorist case". Hamid's brother Najaf Hamid and Hamid himself later contacted and met with him in person to resolve the issue.

In addition, Muiz Khan also claimed that intelligence officials had extorted 30 million Pakistani rupees (about 770,000 yuan) from him.

In March 2024, Faiz Hamid's brother was sent to Adiala Jail by the Rawalpindi City Court for 14 days of judicial custody as an accomplice in the embezzlement of billions of rupees. In the case report registered by the Rawalpindi City Anti-Corruption Agency, Najaf and his co-accused tried to seek bail.

In April 2024, the military set up a high-level investigation committee at the direction of the Pakistani Supreme Court and the Ministry of Defense to conduct an in-depth review of the allegations of abuse of power against Lieutenant General Hamid. It is reported that the committee is led by an active major general.

For the first time in Pakistan's history

Military court trial launched against former intelligence chief

It is understood that Hamid was appointed as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in June 2019 and stepped down in October 2021. When he was detained, Hamid had retired for two years. He had been involved in political scandals many times before and was the center of many controversial events on the political stage in Pakistan in the past decade.

Regarding the development of this incident, former Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said in an interview that this move will help enhance the reputation of the military because it shows that the army has an accountability system "regardless of the position."

Given the military's significant influence in Pakistan, arrests of senior serving or retired officers are extremely rare. The post of intelligence chief is considered one of the most central positions in the Pakistani military. To this day, the agency still retains considerable power in maintaining national security and foreign affairs.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said in an interview: "After retiring, Lieutenant General Hamid did not stay away from the political stage, but continued to play a role in it. Anyone who knows him knows that he can't stay out of it."

Asif pointed out that Hamid played a "more direct" role in certain events after his retirement. Asif specifically mentioned the nationwide riots that followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 9 last year, and claimed that Hamid played an important role in the incident. "Although it cannot be proven conclusively, all signs point to him (Hamid)."

The Pakistani military said it had launched a military court trial against Hamid, which was reportedly the first time in the country's history that a military court had been launched against a former intelligence chief.

Red Star News reporter Fan Xu and intern Chen Hanyu (CCTV reporter Cui Ru)

Editor: Guo Zhuang, Editor-in-Chief: Deng Feiguang