Pakistan arrests former spy chief seen as ally of jailed prime minister Imran Khan

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Pakistan has arrested its former spy chief, retired Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, and started court martial proceedings against him.

The detention of a high-ranking officer is unusual in a country where the military has ruled for over 30 years and continues to hold considerable sway.

Mr Hameed’s arrest is widely seen as part of a crackdown on the allies of former prime minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in 2022 and jailed on corruption charges.

Mr Khan, who had reportedly handpicked Mr Hameed to head the ISI spy agency, has accused the military of orchestrating his removal at the behest of the US.

The former spy chief’s arrest was ordered by the Supreme Court, the military claimed in a statement, adding that he was also accused of violating the Pakistan Army Act. It did not specify the charges though or disclose when he was arrested.

He was reportedly implicated in a housing scheme launched by Mr Khan’s government.

"The process of field general court martial has been initiated and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed has been taken into military custody," the statement read.

Mr Hameed, who led the ISI from 2019 to 2021, came to global attention when he was filmed sipping tea in a Kabul hotel shortly after the Taliban had taken back Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US and other occupying Western forces.

The ISI had long been accused by Washington of backing the Taliban.

The head of the ISI is generally considered to be the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan after the army chief.

Additional reporting by agencies.