- Says he is confident open trial would not be held and ‘decision would be taken in a closed room’
- Defence Minister says open trial vital to expose negative designs of PTI’s founder against State
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has called for an open court trial of former ISI chief Faiz Hameed, saying that the “matter should not be treated as an internal military issue.”
In an informal conversation with journalists, Imran Khan clarified that his association with Faiz Hameed ended with the latter’s retirement, dismissing claims that he maintains contact with the former DG ISI.
He questioned how Faiz Hameed, being retired, could benefit him.
“General Faiz became insignificant after retirement. How could he benefit me in any way?” he questioned, dismissing the notion that he maintains contact with the former DG ISI.
Imran Khan reiterated his demand for a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incident.
Open trial vital to expose negative designs of PTI’s founder
Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday backed the PTI founder’s demand for open trial of Faiz Hameed, saying that open trial is vital to expose negative designs of PTI’s founder against the State.
PTI had found involved in the attacking on national institutions on May 9, he said while talking to a private television channel. The nation must know about the sinister designs of PTI against the security institutions, he said.
If Imran’s case refers to military courts then open trial is necessary to tell the public about PTI’s leader, he said.
Separately in a post on X the PTI quoted Imran as saying: “If Gen Faiz Hameed was the central figure in the May 9 conspiracy, then I demand COAS Gen Asim Munir to conduct Gen Faiz Hameed’s trial in an open court.”
“Open trial will bring forward the evidence,” Imran purportedly said, adding that he was confident that an open trial would not be held and the “decision would be taken in a closed room”.
The former premier was further quoted as claiming that all cases against him had “collapsed”.
On Monday, Imran had claimed that the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was being forced to turn approver against him to pave the way for his (Imran’s) trial in a military court in cases over the May 9 riots.
Imran had also termed the issue the “army’s internal matter”.
In a separate post, the PTI chairman was quoted as saying: “They all know that all the remaining cases against me have been quashed, which is why they want to take me towards military courts.”
In an unprecedented step, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on August 12 announced Gen Faiz’s arrest for allegedly violating the Army Act.
The military announced that Hameed had been taken into custody by the army on charges of land grabbing and forcibly taking valuables from the owner of a private housing society, as stated by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
According to the Pakistan Army’s media wing, court-martial proceedings had also been initiated against former director general (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed.
“Complying with the orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry was undertaken by the Pakistan Army, to ascertain the correctness of complaints in the Top City Case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd). Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), under provisions of Pakistan Army Act,” the ISPR said.
