Convicted ex-spymaster 'retained classified documents' after retirement

• Ex-ISI chief Faiz Hamid jailed for 14 years on multiple charges.
• Former spymaster was tried and convicted on four counts.
• Faiz Hamid engaged in political activity despite warnings: report.

ISLAMABAD: Former DG ISI Lt Gen (R) Faiz Hamid, jailed for 14 years, also faced the charge of retaining classified official documents in his possession after retirement, which he was not authorised to keep, an informed source said.

The source did not disclose the precise details of the official documents the former spymaster was charged with possessing after retirement.

According to the ISPR’s announcement, the former spymaster was tried and convicted on four counts: engaging in political activities; violation of the Official Secrets Act in a manner detrimental to state security; misuse of authority and government resources; and causing wrongful loss to individuals.

The ISPR did not share the details, but according to the source, one of the charges under the Official Secrets Act pertained to the retention of classified official documents in his possession after retirement, which he was not authorised to keep.

The charge of political activity pertained to his interactions with politicians. The News had highlighted in December 2024 that Lt Gen (R) Faiz Hamid, after his retirement, had remained in contact with nearly 50 politicians — most of them belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Under the 2023 amendments to the Army Act, officers who had served in sensitive postings are barred from participating in political activity of any kind for five years after retirement.

Before his arrest, Faiz was reportedly warned more than once about his post-retirement conduct, but he did not discontinue the activities that were later scrutinised during the inquiry.

Another charge was related to the Top City matter, the details of which are already public. The retired lieutenant general was charged with misusing his position to extort money from Top City, the private housing society.

The case against Gen Faiz was based on a petition filed by the incumbent chief executive officer of the Top City housing society before the Supreme Court.

The petition had said that on May 12, 2017, the Pakistan Rangers and ISI officials raided the offices of the housing project and the residence of its owner in connection with a purported terrorism case and took away gold and diamond ornaments, money and other valuables. Gen Faiz reportedly took the action against the petitioner on a complaint from a lady, a Pakistan-born British national.

The owner of the housing society had contended in his petition that Gen Faiz’s brother, Sardar Najaf, mediated and tried to resolve the issue.

After a Rawalpindi-based ATC acquitted him in the terrorism case, the petition claimed, Gen Faiz contacted him through his cousin, a brigadier in the army, to arrange a meeting.

The petition claimed that during the meeting, Gen Faiz told him that he would return the items taken away during the raid, except for 400 tola gold and cash. The petition alleged that retired brigadiers of the ISI “forced” the petitioner to “pay 4 crore rupees in cash” and “sponsor a private TV network for a few months”.

The Supreme Court, however, asked the petitioner to approach the relevant forums, including the defence ministry, to get his grievances redressed. A separate charge against Faiz Hamid in the trial he faced pertained to causing wrongful loss to a former employee of another housing society.

Originally published in The News