Court Martial

The court martial inquiry of Gen Faiz Hameed had been apparently due for a long time. The former ISI chief was in rough waters over allegations of extortion, misuse of his official position and violation of military discipline. Surprisingly, he was not alone in all such controversies, and the names of his brothers and few serving officers were also doing the rounds. The plot thickened as the Supreme Court in November 2023 called for probing into the affairs which, in the court's view, are of "extremely serious nature" and "cannot be left unattended" as they would undermine the reputation of the country's institutions. The ball that was set rolling subsequently in April this year has resulted in the retired general's military custody.

Though a right step towards self-accountability in the armed forces, the timing of the ex-spy master's arrest and court martial proceedings have raised many eyebrows. Gen Faiz's illustrious career was not free from controversies, as he came under the hammer when the apex court traced his involvement in TLP's Faizabad sit-in, and now the military is out to try him on charges of involvement in a real estate corruption affair. There is no dearth of political shades on his person as the PML-N blames him for influencing the judiciary for its leadership's "unfair" trial allegedly to benefit the PTI. Last but not least, a judge of the High Court as well as a legal counsel for PTI too had blamed Faiz and other senior ranking officers for overstepping the mandate, and violating army rules and regulations.

The military leadership has taken a brave and an institutionally-correct step by taking the accused retired officer to task. This process should not stop at him, and let accountability come full circle. There are many accusations, and few open and shut cases, wherein persons in uniform have defied their oath and indulged in affairs beyond their merit and mandate. The professional astuteness of the army calls for bringing them under the scanner too.