Arrest of former ISI chief Faiz Hameed is an 'internal issue' of Pakistani military, says Imran Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan's jailed former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday termed the arrest of former ISI chief Faiz Hameed as an 'internal issue' of the military and said that the army's action against the former general has nothing to do with his party.

Hameed served as the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021, when Khan was prime minister and was accused of meddling in political affairs at his behest.

"Khan sahib said just this that ‘it is the army’s internal matter’ and that whatever action the army has taken has nothing to do with the PTI or Khan sahib,” Khan's legal representative Intezar Panjutha said.

Panjutha made these remarks following a meeting of Khan with his senior lawyers at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

Panjutha quoted Khan as saying it was purely a military matter, with no links to PTI. He further clarified that there had been no political connection between Khan and Gen Faiz.

Khan also claimed that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had replaced Gen Faiz after making a deal with Nawaz Sharif, according to the lawyer.

Khan also suggested that if General Faiz’s arrest was related to the events of May 9, it would be an opportune moment to form a judicial commission and bring the CCTV footage of the day to light, Panjutha noted.

He also stated that the former premier urged his followers to peacefully protest tonight for the sake of freedom, stressing the importance of taking to the streets for the country.

Panjutha also highlighted Khan’s concerns over the mounting pressure on the Supreme Court, the disillusionment among the youth, and the deteriorating conditions in Pakistan, comparing them with those in Bangladesh.

He stated that Khan believed it was time for Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa to step back, highlighting that PTI’s three seats were allegedly taken away the previous day.

Earlier, in an unprecedented move, Hameed was detained by military authorities and court martial proceedings were initiated against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority and violating the Pakistan Army Act.