Pak govt says Imran Khan conspired with ex-ISI chief to spread unrest

The Pakistan government has accused jailed former premier Imran Khan of masterminding a political conspiracy, along with a former ISI chief and others, to sow anarchy and disharmony in the country, according to media reports.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder was spreading unrest across the country and former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was part of the conspiracy, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Hameed, who served as director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 2019 to 2021 when Khan was the prime minister, was arrested following action in the complaint of a private property developer over alleged misuse of official authority.

Later, several others, including three retired military officers, were also arrested in connection with the court martial of Hameed.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Tarar hinted that the ambit of the probe against Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed and his other “co-conspirators” would be widened in days to come, Dawn newspaper reported.

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Tarar said that in the wake of Hameed’s arrest, the army conducted transparent investigations as they have their mechanism of internal accountability.

Referring to the arrests, the information minister claimed that Khan had conspired with these people to spread anarchy in the country.

“This was a political alliance, led by the PTI founder, which was linked with Gen Faiz and other accomplices,” he said, adding that the ambit of the investigation would widen.

“No matter if someone is Saqib or Nisar, things will proceed transparently,” he said, referring to former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, who the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party accuses of propping up the PTI regime and targeting their political opponents.

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Tarar alleged that evidence was surfacing, which showed that Khan was “in contact” with these conspirators — at the time of the vote of no-confidence, and even after his incarceration — and his messaging continued back and forth with this “unholy political alliance”.

He stressed that other institutions should also practice the same self-accountability that the army had demonstrated.

The information minister stressed that other institutions should also practice the same self-accountability that the army had demonstrated.

Meanwhile, just days after distancing himself from the former spymaster, facing court-martial proceedings, Khan seemed to endorse claims that he and the retired general were close.

Khan, hinting that the former spymaster and he was close, said Hameed’s transfer to the Peshawar corps was part of the conspiracy hatched against the PTI government, Dawn News reported.

Khan claimed that this was done by former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa at the behest of Nawaz Sharif.

Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed, considered extremely powerful when he headed the spy agency, was appointed to the coveted post when then ISI chief and current Army chief Lt Gen Asim Munir was prematurely removed from the post.

It was reported then that then prime minister Imran Khan was not happy with Munir.

Later, the army decided to replace Hameed, a move vehemently opposed by Khan and it is believed that it was the beginning of the souring of his ties with the powerful military.

Hameed took premature retirement in November 2022, four months before his retirement date after the current army chief took over. He was considered close to then Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.

The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 76-plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.