Ex-spy chief’s arraignment ignites debate in Pakistan on possible military trial of Imran Khan

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan (left) and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. (retired) Faiz Hamid (second left) are pictured after attending a special meeting of “National Intelligence Coordination Committee” in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 23, 2021. (@PakPMO/File)
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Updated 12 December 2024
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Ex-spy chief’s arraignment ignites debate in Pakistan on possible military trial of Imran Khan

  • Hamid, who was DG ISI from June 2019 until October 2021, was widely seen to have been close to Khan when he was PM 
  • PM Sharif government says Hamid may have been a “strategic adviser” to Khan in planning anti-military riots in May last year

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Legal and political analysts said this week the arraignment of former spymaster Lt. Gen. (retired) Faiz Hamid on a number of charges, including engaging in political activities, could be a “message” for ex-premier Imran Khan and a precursor to prosecuting the jailed leader before a military court.

Hamid, who served as the director-general of Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from June 2019 until October 2021, was widely seen to have been close to Khan while he was prime minister from 2018-2022. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the time of Hamid’s arrest in August he was part of a “political nexus” led by Khan that had planned protests by pro-Khan supporters in May 9, 2023, in which government and military buildings were attacked by rioters. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has since said Hamid may have played the role of a “strategic adviser” to Khan in planning the violence and the ex-premier’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party provided the manpower while Hamid “masterminded the conspiracy.” 

Thousands of leaders and supporters of the PTI were arrested after the protests and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence and there have been widespread reports that the military also plans to prosecute Khan under the Pakistan Army Act on charges of treason and attempting to incite a mutiny in the military. The PTI denies their leader planned the riots and says he was in prison when they took place. Khan is already on trial in a civilian court for allegedly abetting the violence, a charge he has rejected. 

The Pakistan Army Act of 1952 set up military courts to try members of the military or enemies of the state. Civilians can only be tried in such tribunals under a federal government order for offenses such as waging war against the armed forces or law enforcement agencies, or for attacking military installations or inciting mutiny.

Hamid’s lawyer declined comment. The military did not respond to an Arab News request for comment but current army chief General Asim Munir said in May, without naming anyone, there could be “no compromise or deal with the planners and architects of this dark chapter in our history.”

“The court martial of Faiz Hamid is also a message for Imran Khan,” political analyst Mazhar Abbas told Arab News. “The case with regards to May 9 is still not final and under investigation but if the nexus between Gen. Faiz and Imran is established, the case would go down in history as a landmark case.”

Imaan Mazari-Haider, a prominent human rights lawyer, questioned the intent behind Hamid’s trial.

“If there was any genuine intent to hold him [Hamid] accountable for violations of his oath, the violations of the constitution, violations of Pakistanis’ fundamental rights under his tenure as DG ISI, we would be seeing a very different kind of trial and a very different mode of accountability,” she said, referring to the secretive nature of military trials. 

“So, yes, I do think on some level, this is also being done to bring Imran Khan within the ambit of the Army Act … it’s to bring a very popular, civilian leader within the ambit of the Army Act, perhaps at a later stage.”

Khan has himself said Hamid’s arrest was meant to ultimately target him as other cases against him were falling apart and he had won a string of legal victories in civilian courts.

“It is a drama to try my case in a military court,” he was quoted as saying by his lawyer Naeem Panjutha during a hearing in jail earlier this year.

In a media briefing in September, military spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry hinted at a military trial for Khan in response to a question by a journalist. While he said the matter was under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion, he simultaneously outlined the conditions under which a civilian could be tried under military law:

“Anyone who uses any person or persons who are bound by the Army Act for his personal or political interests, and there is evidence available about that, the law will take its own course.”

“FIX THEIR OWN HOUSE”

Pakistan’s military courts operate under a separate system from the civilian legal system and are run by military officials. Judges at such tribunals are also military officers and cases are tried at military buildings. Trials are closed to outsiders and the media.

The courts have faced widespread criticism inside Pakistan and from rights organizations globally because of their secretive nature and their parallel existence alongside a functioning civilian legal system.

Anyone tried under the Army Act has the right to defend themselves and engage a counsel of their choice. Individuals can challenge convictions in high courts and the Supreme Court.

Hamid is being tried by court-martial on charges of corruption, misuse of power in service and violation of the Army Act after his 2022 retirement, the military says. The charges are punishable by a jail sentence of up to 14 years.

“The retired officer is also accused of transgressing legal and constitutional boundaries for his personal interest at the behest of some particular political elements,” the military spokesman said at the September briefing.

Khan has waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against Pakistan’s all-powerful military after a falling out with then-army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in 2022, following which he was ousted from office in a parliamentary no-trust vote that he said was backed by the generals. The army denies it interferes in political affairs but has a long history of carrying out military coups in Pakistan and being the invisible guiding hand of politics even in times of civilian rule. 

Khan appointed Hamid in 2019 as the head of the ISI, one of the most powerful posts in Pakistan and one that functions at the intersection of national politics and military and foreign affairs. Two years later, when the military transferred Hamid from the ISI to a corps command, Khan initially opposed the move in what was the first public sign of divisions between him and the army top leadership.

Khan has acknowledged in interviews to Pakistani media that he wanted Hamid to remain DG ISI in 2021, when he said the opposition had started planning his ouster. 

Lawyer and columnist, Sameer Khosa, told Arab News while it was too early to speculate on whether Hamid’s trial would pave the way for Khan’s before a military court, civilians “deserve a hearing in a fair and open court where they are confronted with the evidence against them and have the ability to lead a fair and independent defense.”

“Military trials are meant for the internal disciplinary proceedings of military officers by military officers because they are bound by military discipline,” Khosa said. 

“Civilians have the right to a trial before an independent and impartial forum that is open to the public and the media. That’s a constitutional guarantee. It’s an international human rights principle.”

Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, a senior PTI leader and close adviser to Khan, said the court martial and arraignment of the former ISI chief was an “army matter” that had no connection to Khan.

“It’s funny that the army is taking action [against Hamid] now but not in the last five years while he was in office,” the PTI spokesman told Arab News, raising questions about the timing of the case against the ex-spymaster.

“They [army] should, they need to fix their own house first before trying to link it to anybody else,” he added. “So whatever issues they have, it is their own internal housekeeping.”


Pakistani fintech secures $52 million funding to grow Islamic finance business, plans Middle East foray

Updated 08 April 2025
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Pakistani fintech secures $52 million funding to grow Islamic finance business, plans Middle East foray

  • Funding includes $5 million in equity, $47 million in strategic financing, will support Haball’s growth plans for Pakistan
  • The money will also help Haball’s expansion into the Middle East, starting with Saudi Arabia this year, company said 

KARACHI: Haball, a Pakistan fintech firm, raised $52 million to expand its Shariah-compliant supply chain financing and payments services, the company said on Tuesday.
The funding, led by Zayn VC and Meezan Bank, includes $5 million in equity and $47 million in strategic financing and will support Haball’s growth plans for Pakistan, the company said in a statement.
The money will also help Haball’s expansion into the Middle East, starting with Saudi Arabia this year, it added.
“Supply chain finance in Pakistan is nascent but is expected to be worth over $9 billion; driven by the severe financing gap faced by the country’s SMEs – less than 5 percent can access financing from commercial banks,” the company statement said.
Islamic banking and finance has been growing rapidly in Pakistan, the world’s second most populous Muslim country, with assets reaching 9,689 billion Pakistani rupees ($34.54 billion)at the end of June 2024, according to the Quarterly Islamic Banking Bulletin released by the State Bank of Pakistan.
The market share of assets and deposits of the Islamic banking sector in the overall banking industry stood at 18.8 percent and 22.7 percent, respectively.
The central bank has a target of 30 percent of overall banking assets and deposits to be Islamic by this year, according to its strategic plans for 2023-2028.
Haball says it provides shariah-compliant financing to nearly 8,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as multinationals, in addition to digital invoicing, payment collection, and tax compliance services.
“Haball has processed over $3 billion in payments and disbursed over $110 million in financing – optimizing supply chains across the country,” said the firm’s founder and CEO, Omer bin Ahsan.
Islamic finance bans interest payments and pure monetary speculation and can only be used to invest in Shariah-compliant assets or portfolios. ($1 = 280.5000 Pakistani rupees)


Thousands of Afghan refugees return to Afghanistan via Torkham as Pakistan intensifies deportations

Updated 42 min 58 sec ago
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Thousands of Afghan refugees return to Afghanistan via Torkham as Pakistan intensifies deportations

  • Islamabad last month set deadline for some 800,000 Afghans carrying citizen cards to leave Pakistan
  • A total of 488,187 “illegal immigrants” sent to Afghanistan via Torkham since September 2023, says KP

PESHAWAR: Thousands of Afghan refugees are being repatriated through the Torkham border pass in northwestern Pakistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Home and Tribal Affairs department said on Tuesday, as Islamabad intensifies its campaign to deport what it says are illegal immigrants. 
Pakistani officials told Arab News on Monday that Islamabad has repatriated more than 13,500 Afghan nationals since the expiry of a Mar. 31 expulsion deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, an identity card issued by Islamabad. 
The latest deportation exercise is another phase in Islamabad’s campaign in recent years to return foreigners, mostly Afghans, living in Pakistan. The move is part of a larger repatriation drive of foreign citizens that began in 2023, with over 800,000 Afghans expelled from Pakistan since. The government initially said it was first focusing on expelling foreigners with no legal documentation and other categories such as ACC holders, would be included later. 

“Since Apr.1, 5,568 refugees holding Afghan Citizen Cards have been sent to Afghanistan via Torkham,” the tribal affairs department said in a statement. 
The department said 2,355 ACC holders and 3,042 illegal immigrants were sent via Torkham border on Monday. Since Apr. 1,160 ACC holders from Islamabad, 4,227 from Punjab and one from Gilgit-Baltistan were sent to Afghanistan via Torkham border.
It added that a total of 488,187 illegal immigrants have been sent to Afghanistan through Torkham since September 2023. 

An Afghan burqa-clad refugee along with her children arrives at a registration centre in Takhta Pul district of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, on April 7, 2025, upon their arrival from Pakistan. (AFP)

According to the United Nations (UN) data, Pakistan has hosted more than 2.8 million Afghan nationals who crossed the border in a desperate attempt to escape decades of war and instability in their home country. Around 1.3 million of them are formally registered as refugees and hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, which grant them legal protection while another 800,000 Afghans possess ACC.
Pakistan took the decision in 2023 to deport Afghan nationals from the country following a surge in suicide attacks in the country, particularly in KP. Islamabad blames Afghan nationals for being involved in attacks on its soil and accuses the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan of providing shelter to anti-Pakistan militants. Kabul denies the allegation and says Pakistan’s security matter is its internal responsibility. 

Afghan nationals with their belongings gather as they head back to Afghanistan at the Torkham border crossing, Pakistan on April 7, 2025. (Reuters) 

International rights groups allege Afghan refugees face harassment and intimidation by Pakistani police and authorities in the forced expulsion drive. Pakistani officials deny the charges and say Afghan nationals are being sent to their homeland in a dignified manner. 
“We faced terrible situations there,” Lal Saeed, an Afghan man recently deported from Pakistan, told Reuters on Monday. “The Pakistani police raided our home during the night. My two sons were taken away — and they’re still in prison. I have the proof.”
With belongings packed, Lal said he left a loaded car waiting outside and rushed to the prison, hoping for one last chance to bring his sons with him. 
“When I got there, the police asked, ‘Where are you going?’ I said, ‘I’m going to Afghanistan.’ They replied, ‘Then go — we’ll deport your sons after you.’“


US discusses tariffs, critical minerals, immigration with Pakistan

Updated 08 April 2025
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US discusses tariffs, critical minerals, immigration with Pakistan

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar over telephone
  • Both discussed making progress toward a “fair and balanced” trade relationship, says State Department

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday about tariffs, trade relations, immigration and prospects for engagement on critical minerals, the State Department and Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in separate statements.

President Donald Trump said last week that he would impose a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports to the US and higher duties on dozens of other countries, including some of Washington’s biggest trading partners, rattling global markets and bewildering US allies. The Trump administration imposed a 29 percent tariff on Pakistan.

“They (Rubio and Dar) discussed US reciprocal tariffs on Pakistan and how to make progress toward a fair and balanced trade relationship,” the State Department said.

The US goods trade deficit with Pakistan was $3 billion in 2024, a 5.2  percent increase over 2023, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.

“The Secretary raised prospects for engagement on critical minerals and expressed interest in expanding commercial opportunities for US companies.”

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Rubio “reciprocated the desire to collaborate with Pakistan in trade and investment in various sectors, especially critical minerals.”

The Trump administration has also used prospects of engagement over critical minerals with other countries.

For example, it is attempting to strike an agreement over critical minerals with Ukraine as part of talks related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Washington has also said it is open to exploring critical minerals partnerships with Congo and help end a conflict raging in the African country’s east.

In the call with Dar, Rubio emphasized the importance of Pakistan’s cooperation with the US on law enforcement and addressing illegal immigration, the State Department said.

Last month, Pakistan highlighted its cooperation with Washington on countering extremism after the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, whom the US blames for a 2021 attack on its troops at Kabul airport, in a military operation along the border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistan foreign ministry said Rubio and Dar discussed the situation in Afghanistan.


Pakistan’s national airline says passenger arrested for attacking staff on Paris-bound flight

Updated 08 April 2025
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Pakistan’s national airline says passenger arrested for attacking staff on Paris-bound flight

  • Passenger punched woman flight attendant after she told him not to smoke mid-flight, says PIA 
  • PIA says police report filed against passenger who has been blacklisted by the national airline 

KARACHI: A passenger was arrested by French police this week for attacking members of a cabin crew after he was told not to smoke on a Paris-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, the national airline’s spokesperson said. 

The incident took place on the Islamabad-Paris PIA flight PK-749 on Sunday after a woman flight attendant told a passenger to stop smoking, the airline said. The passenger refused and behaved rudely, prompting the crew and the captain to intervene. 

The PIA said the passenger injured the flight attendant’s arm by grabbing and twisting it and punching her on the back. He also attacked the flight steward and the captain, but they managed to snatch the cigarette from the passenger. 

“The captain informed French authorities during the flight as per the rules, and police arrested the passenger upon the plane’s arrival in Paris,” the PIA spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. 

“A police report has been filed after recording the statements of the flight attendants and having them medically examined.” 

The spokesperson said that French laws are very strict in this matter, hoping that the passenger will not be granted any concession. 

“The passenger has been blacklisted by the PIA and he will not be able to travel on the national airline again,” the spokesperson said. 

He commended the PIA’s staff for tackling the matter professionally, adding that the law would now take its due course. 

The PIA began operating flights to Paris for the first time in four years from January this year. Its authorization to operate flights to the European Union had been suspended by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani aviation authorities to ensure compliance with international standards.

The national airline operates two weekly flights to Paris. 


Pakistan eyes investments from Saudi Arabia, China, US as minerals summit kicks off

Updated 26 min 35 sec ago
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Pakistan eyes investments from Saudi Arabia, China, US as minerals summit kicks off

  • Ministers, heads of private mining companies from various countries expected to attend two-day forum in Islamabad
  • Pakistan’s deputy premier calls for collaboration between governments, industry leaders and investors at conference

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is hosting ministers and officials of private mining companies from Saudi Arabia, China, the United States and a host of other countries for a two-day minerals summit in the capital today, Tuesday, as it eyes international investment in its natural reserves estimated to be worth $6 trillion. 

Grappling with a prolonged macroeconomic crisis, Pakistan hopes to tap into its vast reserves of minerals and natural resources to turn its fortunes around. The country is home to one of the world’s largest porphyry copper-gold mineral zones, while the Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan has an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore. Barrick Gold, which owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mines, considers them one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and their development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan’s struggling economy. 

The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan’s leading exploration and production (E&P) company, in collaboration with the government of Pakistan and strategic partners are organizing the summit. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said this week that the government expects around 2,000 people to attend the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum from Apr. 8-9 in Islamabad, which would include a “significant” number of foreign dignitaries. He said officials from China, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, China and the US are expected to attend the summit. 

“To truly unlock the potential of this [mining and minerals] sector, we need more than just capital,” Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said at the summit. “We need a shared commitment to collaborate. Cooperation among governments, industry leaders, investors and local communities is very essential.”

The deputy premier said investment in Pakistan’s mineral sector not only represents financial opportunity but a vital step toward securing a sustainable and “technologically advanced future” for the coming generations.

“The Pakistan Mineral Investment Forum 2025 provides a unique platform for stakeholders, friendly countries and partners to converge, explore new prospects and build mutually beneficial partnerships,” Dar added. 

Dar called on attendees “to invest with purpose, with foresight and with the collective well-being” of the people of Pakistan and its partners and investors in mind. 

Pakistan is expected to unveil its newly developed, investor-friendly National Minerals Harmonization Framework 2025, which aims to attract investment in the country’s mineral sector, at the forum. 

Malik said on Monday that the summit would also feature key agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed between Pakistan and other countries. 

“It is the prime minister’s wish that we do not restrict this event to just words, so we will confirm some MoUs in front of you,” the minister said. “Along with this, not just MoUs but a few agreements will also be executed after which we will take these matters toward implementation.”

Pakistan has designated mining and minerals as a priority sector for national economic development, aiming to reduce its reliance on imports and enhance exports. The country is undertaking efforts to utilize its natural resources through foreign investment and collaboration to stabilize its $350 billion economy, which has suffered a prolonged economic crisis over the past few years. 

Islamabad has aggressively pursued trade and investment with its regional allies, Central Asian states and Gulf countries in recent months to ward off a macroeconomic crisis that has drained its reserves, weakened its currency and triggered a balance of payment crisis. 

Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military government body, in 2023 to attract international investment in its key priority sectors, mining and minerals among them.