Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has called incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-ISI chief Gen Faiz Hameed “pharaohs” of their time saying he welcomes his (Hameed) jail term. Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed was sentenced to a 14-year jail term on Thursday after being convicted on four counts related to violating secrecy laws, engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and causing harm to others. “This is a historic verdict.
I welcome it,” Bilawal said. “In my political career, I witnessed two pharaohs -- one is Imran Khan and the other Gen Faiz Hameed. Imran Khan as prime minister threatened the opposition leaders and sent many to jail and he even targeted women leaders like Faryal Talpur and Maryam Nawaz. “Today both are reaping what they had sown,” Bilawal said and added Gen Faiz, who was “so intoxicated” by power that he violated his oath and targeted politicians, media owners, businessmen and others.
The PPP chief advised Khan and Gen Faiz to seek forgiveness for their crimes from God. “Both should seek mercy from God. This should be a message that such mistakes must not be repeated by anyone,” he said during an event at Chiniot district, about 200 kilometres from Lahore. Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on the other hand have been accusing the incumbent military establishment of openly interfering in politics, stealing its mandate of last year’s general elections and engineering court verdicts against its leaders.
Khan, 73, has been in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023 in multiple cases. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military’s media wing, in a statement on Thursday said: “On August 12, 2024, process of Field General Court Martial was initiated against Faiz Hameed, formerly Lieutenant General, under provisions of Pakistan Army Act.” After lengthy and laborious legal proceedings, the accused has been found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment,” it added.
