Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed. PHOTO: FILE
Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed has challenged the 14-year prison sentence handed to him by a military court and requested a copy of the judgment, his lawyer confirmed on Monday.
Lawyer Mian Ali Ashfaq said The Express PK Press Club that the appeal was filed with the army chief two days ago, while a separate application was submitted to the Registrar of the Court of Appeal at GHQ for a copy of the written decision.
“The appeal has already been filed,” Ashfaq said, without revealing the specific grounds given in the challenge.
According to the military, Hameed was convicted on Dec. 11 by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) of four counts: engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act “in a manner prejudicial to the security and interests of the state,” abuse of government authority and resources, and undue harm to individuals.
Read: Former ISI chief Faiz Hameed sentenced to 14 years in prison by military court
He remains incarcerated at the Rawalpindi Special Prison and has not been transferred to Adiala Prison, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Under Section 133-B of the Pakistan Army Act, an accused has 40 days from conviction to file an appeal. Hameed’s challenge will be heard by an appeals court presided over by a major general or senior officer appointed by the army chief, who can confirm, modify or overturn the sentence.
The proceedings against Hameed stem from a complaint filed in 2017 by real estate developer Kanwar Moeez Khan. Khan claimed that Hameed, then an ISI major general, along with two other officers, raided his residence and business premises, confiscated valuables and forced him to pay Rs 40 million while funding a private television channel.
The case resurfaced in 2023 after the Supreme Court ordered Khan to contact the Defense Ministry, which then opened a military investigation. A court of inquiry constituted in April 2024 found sufficient grounds to prosecute, leading to Hameed’s arrest on August 12 that year.
According to military media, the FGCM proceedings began on August 12, 2024 and continued for approximately 15 months before the verdict was announced.
After what Inter-Services Public Relations called a “long and drawn-out legal process,” the court found him guilty on all counts. The sentence entered into force on December 11, 2025.
The ISPR further said that Hameed’s “involvement in promoting political agitation and instability among cohorts comprising political elements and in certain other matters” is being dealt with separately.
Learn more: The fallen general
Hameed, who retired from the army in November 2022, became the first former ISI director general and the second three-star general in Pakistan’s history to be tried by a military court and sentenced to imprisonment.
The investigation ultimately focused on several other retired military personnel, including retired Brigadier Ghaffar, retired Brigadier Naeem Fakhar and retired Colonel Asim. However, the court’s decision did not clarify their legal status or the findings against them.
