Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief and retired three-star general Faiz Hameed was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment on Thursday after a field general court martial found him guilty of political interference, misuse of authority, unlawful use of state resources, causing harm to individuals, and violating the Official Secrets Act.

The ISPR said the verdict came at the end of a 15-month trial conducted under the Pakistan Army Act. It added that matters relating to his “collusion with political elements and role in political agitation” were being dealt with separately.

Faiz Hameed, once considered one of the most influential figures in Pakistan’s power structure, had long been at the centre of political controversy.

His national profile surged in November 2017 when, as a senior officer, he acted as guarantor and negotiator during the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan-led Faizabad sit-in, signing the agreement that ended the protest.

The episode demonstrated both his influence and his reach into sensitive political-religious disputes.

He was widely viewed as a close ally of former prime minister Imran Khan, who appointed him as director general of the ISI, a post regarded as the most powerful in the military after the army chief.

Hameed served as ISI head from 2019 to 2021. His international visibility increased when he was seen sipping tea in a Kabul hotel lobby after the Afghan Taliban takeover in 2021, days after foreign forces withdrew.

Over his career, he held several key positions, including command of the Peshawar and Bahawalpur corps.

But his troubles deepened after a petition filed in November 2023 by Top City housing society owner Moeez Ahmed Khan reached the Supreme Court.

The petitioner alleged that on May 12, 2017, Rangers and ISI personnel raided his property, seizing gold, diamonds and other valuables along with the society’s records.

In August 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the allegations of theft and unlawful seizure were “serious in nature” and could not be ignored, opening the door to formal proceedings.

By the time the ruling was issued, Hameed had retired.

The army subsequently took him into custody and initiated court martial proceedings, accusing him of misconduct and violations of the Army Act.

His trial became one of the most high-profile in Pakistan’s military history, making him only the second lieutenant general, and the first former ISI chief, to face such charges.

The ISPR confirmed that he was convicted on multiple counts linked to political involvement, abuse of authority, and actions deemed detrimental to state interests.

Further inquiries into related political matters are ongoing.

His conviction marks a rare and significant moment for the military, given his prominence over the past decade and the controversies that surrounded his rise and influence.