Imran Khan distances himself from Gen Faiz, says court martial army's internal matter

• Former PM urges across the board accountability after Gen Faiz's arrest.
• Says he didn't want to remove Faiz Hamid amid Afghan issue.
• Adds ex-spymaster had good ties with the Afghan Taliban.

Days after the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid was taken into custody by the Pakistan Army, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) founder Imran Khan has distanced himself from the retired general.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on August 12 announced the arrest of the former ISI chief, saying that he was "taken into custody" over allegations of land grabbing and snatching valuables from the owner of a private housing society.

"Complying with the orders of the 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 (retd) Faiz Hamid," the army's media wing said earlier this week.

"I have no connection with General (retd) Faiz," the incarcerated PTI leader said on Thursday while talking to journalists at Adiala Jail.

"If the military wants the accountability of General Faiz [then] it should proceed and do it," Khan said, asserting that it is the army's internal matter.

Welcoming the development, the former premier said it was good that  army has launched the process of internal accountability, he noted. However, he urged the military to ensure that the process of accountability should be across the board.

Responding to a question relating to his past engagement with the former spymaster, the 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said that while he was the premier he did not want to remove General Faiz from his office amid regime change in Afghanistan.  

At the time, General Faiz was engaged with the Afghanistan government and Taliban, the PTI founder said, adding that the former army officer arranged his meeting with then US envoy on Afghanistan’s peace process Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives.

The former ISI chief continued negotiations with the Taliban for three years as he enjoyed good relations with them, he noted, adding that the former serviceman was an asset for the country however, he was wasted.

The embattled PTI founder said that he exchanged heated words with the former army chief, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa over the issue of removing the former ISI boss from his post, adding Bajwa removed Faiz for the sake of his extension. "I repeatedly asked Bajwa not to remove Faiz but to no avail," he added.

"General (retd) Bajwa also toppled my government for the sake of his extension," he stressed, adding that he holds Bajwa responsible for the spike in terrorism in the country.

Commenting on a statement by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif who had said the former spymaster was involved in the May 9 riots, Khan demanded an inquiry into to ascertain if the retired general was behind the violent protests.

"Khawaja Asif said that General Bajwa had sought extension. It is the endorsement of what I have been saying," he continued.

He also claimed that it was a condition from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif to remove Faiz.

The process of court martial has been initiated against the former chief of the country's premier spy agency over complaints in the Top City Case, the army's media wing earlier this week said.

Three more retired officers were taken into military custody on Thursday in connection with the same housing scheme case.

Sources told Geo News that two of the officers in the military custody were of brigadier rank and one was of colonel rank.

The two retired brigadiers have been identified as Ghaffar and Naeem while the retired colonel’s name is Asim, they said, adding that they worked as messengers between a political party and the ex-spymaster.

The two brigadiers, alleged of facilitation, hailed from Chakwal, the sources further said.