Imran says no one should be spared

RAWALPINDI:

Former prime minister Imran Khan has said the court martial of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed is an internal matter for the army. However, he has also called for across-the-board accountability, declaring Faiz "a national asset."

"It's good that the military is conducting internal accountability; if they are doing this, then they should hold everyone accountable," Imran said on Thursday while talking to journalists during a court hearing inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where he is currently detained.

In an unprecedented move, military authorities on Monday detained the former spymaster and initiated court martial proceedings against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority, and violating the Pakistan Army Act. The charges against Gen Faiz Hameed date back to May 2017, when he was the DG-C of the ISI.

Responding to a question regarding the development, Imran Khan claimed that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had removed Gen Faiz from the position of ISI chief at the behest of his political rivals—PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.

"A recent statement by the defense minister [Khawaja Asif] supports my claim that General Bajwa sought a second extension as army chief," Imran said.

"Khawaja Asif also mentioned that General Faiz is directly involved in the events of May 9. The whole matter, however, began with my arrest [in relation to the May 9, 2023, incidents of vandalism]. If General Faiz orchestrated the events of May 9, then there should be an investigation into it," he added.

Imran Khan claimed that the May 9, 2023, incidents were actually part of a "London Plan." "Chief Election Commissioner [Sikandar Sultan Raja], Chief Justice of Pakistan [Qazi Faez Isa], and Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq were part of the London Plan. Justice Isa recalls the Faizabad Commission and Bhutto's case but is not hearing our petition," he added.

According to Imran, General Bajwa "toppled" his government to secure another extension.

"I did not want to remove General Faiz because he was engaged with the Taliban and the Afghan government. There was a golden opportunity to end terrorism in Pakistan.

"General Faiz had prepared a comprehensive plan to eradicate terrorism and provided it to the opposition. He had good relations with the Taliban and had been negotiating with them for three years. I repeatedly advised General Bajwa not to remove General Faiz. General Bajwa removed General Faiz for his extension and set the ISI against the PTI," he added.

Imran Khan declared General Faiz Hameed an asset but noted that he has now been wasted. He clarified that he had no personal ties with General Faiz.

"We are told that we made agreements with the Taliban and brought them back, but if that is the case, why is cross-border terrorism still occurring? Why was there no terrorism during our time?"

He added that General Faiz had brought Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban to him.

"I hold General Bajwa responsible for the current terrorism. Today, all the Taliban have turned against us, and our soldiers are martyred daily. No matter what operations are conducted, they will cross the border, go to the other side, and come back again," he said.