DG ISPR says concrete evidence exists for court martial of Lt Gen (r ) Faiz

The court martial proceedings against former spymaster Lt Gen (r) Faiz Hameed were initiated based on “concrete evidence” following a detailed probe, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesperson said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, ISPR Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that following a detailed inquiry, the Pakistan Army clearly informed on August 12, 2024 that the relevant officer (Gen Faiz) had violated sections of the Army Act.

He added that according to the army, after Gen Faiz’s retirement, “Several instances of violation of the Army Act had emerged. On the basis of these findings, field general court martial proceedings against the former spymaster had been initiated, he said, and added that an application against Gen Faiz was received in the Top City case. The matter was “referred to the Pakistan Army through the defence ministry while having full belief in the army’s accountability process”.

He added that in April this year, the Pakistan Army had ordered a “high-level court of inquiry” into the matter. 

Lt Gen Sharif said that the system of accountability within he institution encouraged other state institutions to do the same.

Shedding light on the security forces' counterterrorism efforts, Lt Gen Sharif informed that 32,173 intelligence-based operations had been carried out in the current year so far, with 4,021 of them conducted in the past month in which 90 “khawarij were sent to hell”.

He added that the Pakistan Army, police, intelligence and law enforcement agencies carried out more than 130 operations on a daily basis to eradicate terrorism.

Disclosing that 193 brave soldiers embraced martyrdom in the past eight months of the ongoing year, the ISPR DG said the entire nation paid tributes to them and their bereaved families. "The armed forces of the country would not relent until and unless last terrorist is eliminated," he expressed the resolve.

Making it clear that the Pakistan Army had nothing to do with politics, he said categorically when that was the case, the Force did not take any side in politics.  

He reiterated the Pak Army's resolve not to compromise on the national security.  

The ISPR official then detailed an “important and successful operation” carried out since August 20 in the Tirah valley against the “Fitna al-Khwarij [banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)] and proscribed organisations Lashkar-i-Islam and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar”.

Stating that the operations were carried out based on accurate and solid information, he said 37 terrorists had been eliminated so far while 14 others had been injured.

“Those sent to hell also included highly wanted khariji Abuzar urf Saddam,” DG Sharif said, adding that four brave soldiers were martyred so far.

“Such IBOs are the evidence of our security forces’ bravery and determination to end the evil of terrorism,” he asserted.

Referring to the deadly August 26 terror attacks across Balochistan, the DG ISPR said they were carried out “on the directives of internal and external enemies and their enablers” with the aim “to impact Balochistan’s peaceful environment and development by targeting innocent people”.

DG Sharif recalled that in response, the security forces eliminated 21 terrorists while 14 security men were martyred.