Former Inter-Services Intelligence director general Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed’s trial would be completed by March 2025, journalist Javed Chaudhry has claimed.

“It usually takes six to seven months,” he said when asked about the process of Field General Court Martial of Hameed. “Everything is ready, the former spymaster and witnesses are being interviewed.”

Chaudhry was on the Aaj News programme Rubaroo to share his expert analysis and insights on the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment, further tweaks into the law, and former prime minister Imran Khan’s incarceration.

The army arrested Hameed on allegations of violating the Army Act, it said on August 12, 2024. The move was prompted by allegations of misconduct levelled by the owner of a private housing society.

“Complying with the orders of Sup­reme Court of Pakistan, a detailed court of inquiry, was undertaken by Pakistan Army, to ascertain correctness of complaints in Top City Case made against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd). Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), under provisions of Pakistan Army Act,” said the Inter-Services Public Relations press release.

It further alleged that “multiple instances of violation of Pakistan Army Act post retirement have also been established.”

According to Chaudhry said: “As far as I have understood, the army system is like a Western investigation. Firstly, you gather evidence, then interview witnesses and the suspect and place proof in front of the suspect.”

He claimed that the previous head of the premier spy agency had not pleaded guilty to the allegations and decided to contest the case.

When the columnist was told that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the trial had not started, he replied maybe Asif had better information than being a defence minister.

‘The lifetime extension offer’

In response to a query about independent Senator Faisal Vawda’s claims, the journalist said that there was a perception within the army that former prime minister Imran Khan influenced Hameed not the other way around.

He claimed that many believed the former prime minister spoke to the former spymaster in a way that changed him. “Every lieutenant general wishes to be army chief. When a PM says that I see an army chief in you, you will get influenced.”

While speaking about the events before the no-confidence motion against Khan, he claimed that the PTI founder made the “lifetime extension offer” to former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa through ex-defence minister Pervez Khattak.

According to Chaudhry, Khan made the offer in a telephone call to Bajwa from the ISI DG’s office as it was “safe” in March 2022. He substantiated his claims by saying that previous spy agency head lieutenant general (retd) Nadeem Ahmed Anjum was sitting in the room when the former PM made the call.

He added that there were “many versions to the story” and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif opposed giving an extension to Bajwa despite attempts from Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and other close leaders to the PML-N president.

Nawaz had decided Munir’s name and switched off his phone and went on a Europe trip with his daughter, he claimed and added that the PML-N president returned to the country when the new army chief took the oath of office.

How government convince JUI-F chief Fazl to amendment?

Chaudhry, who hosts Kal Tak on Express News, claimed that the government employed carrot and stick approach to win support for JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s support for the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

He went on to add that the carrot was PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari meeting Fazl and the stick was JUI-F “lawmakers were not reachable” for Fazl.

He claimed that Fazl was made the parliamentary party’s head when the deal was done on the amendment.

Four amendments that Fazl opposed

According to Chaudhry, the four things that Fazl said he removed from the original draft of the constitutional amendment were as follows:

Firstly, cases of those who attack state and military installations will be run in military courts. It was meant to try the May 9 events suspects.

Second was the rotation of high court judges. He claimed that if this had happened Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and Khan’s sisters would not have been bailed.

Third was that if a junior Supreme Court judge becomes the chief justice of Pakistan then the senior judges would resign.

Fourth could be that the constitutional bench would become a constitutional court. Chaudhry claimed that the government would clarification about the type of cases being referred to a separate court.

The columnist claimed that Khan was offered a “good package” before the constitutional package, which included his shifting to cell’s B-Class, no new cases against him, his wife’s release, bail for sisters, recognition as a parliamentary party, and reserved seats.

But Khan rejected it, he said and claimed that the former prime minister would only come out through a deal.

While referring to conspiracy theories, he questioned how former first lady Bushra Bibi got bail and easily went to Peshawar without any new case or arrest.

Chaudhry said that at least 20 SIC MNAs were on the government’s side. He wondered how the government PPP would stop the 27th constitutional amendment if it carried tweaks related to the military courts.

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What does Imran Khan want?

Chaudhry said: “From whom he [Khan] wants freedom? From the army? From whom he is fighting?”

According to the journalist, “You will have to accept a reality that Pakistan cannot survive without the army and the country cannot run without democracy. You have to believe in the democratic process and the army.”

He claimed that Bibi would make announcements related to the PTI protests.

When asked, he said: “There is Game of Thrones in Pakistan. It seems like all crises end, but suddenly a new crisis emerges. There is a new crisis in the Supreme Court as everyone thought that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar would resign as judges after Justice Yahya Afridi became the chief justice of Pakistan but they did not.”

He added that the PTI would protest if the party has remained in contact with Khan.