Court orders arrest of ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed’s brother after cancelling bail

Judge cites land fraud, misuse of authority as FIA probes money laundering

ISLAMABAD:

A special court on Wednesday issued a written order cancelling the bail of Najaf Hameed, the brother of former Inter-Services Intelligence director-general Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, and ordered his arrest.

The written order was issued two days after the court announced its decision. Special Judge Central FIA Shah Rukh Arjumand delivered a reserved verdict, recording a series of allegations against the accused.

According to the order, Najaf Hameed is accused of preparing a fake registry and fraudulently mutating land records. The court said that instead of transferring a one-kanal plot to the complainant, the accused allegedly transferred only 10 marlas through deception.

The order also records allegations that the accused misused his official position for personal gain. It noted that an inquiry under the Money Laundering Act is also underway.

The prosecution told the court that the arrest of the accused was necessary to secure access to material facts and to complete the investigation. It argued that extraordinary relief such as bail could not be granted merely on the basis of the complainant’s statement or an alleged settlement.

Read: Ex-ISI DG’s brother arrested in corruption case

Accepting the Federal Investigation Agency’s application, the court cancelled the bail and ordered that the accused be taken into custody.

Several national media outlets reported that Najaf Hameed was not present in court when the order was announced and could not be arrested immediately.

The court noted that bail had earlier been granted to the accused but held that the relief could not be sustained in view of the nature of the allegations and the needs of the investigation.

The prosecution maintained that reliance on a complainant’s statement or an alleged settlement could not override the need for custodial interrogation, particularly in cases involving the misuse of official authority.