The former Director-General of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Faiz Hameed, was taken into custody on August 12, 2024. He faces court martial proceedings for his alleged involvement in the Top City Case.
According to sources, Hameed’s arrest is linked to unauthorized raids conducted on the Top City office and the residence of Kunwar Khan, a key figure associated with the scheme, in May 2017.
During these raids, security forces seized valuable items, including 400 tola of gold, diamonds, and cash, claiming they were part of a terrorism investigation.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had directed a thorough investigation into the matter, leading to Hameed’s arrest. The former spy chief is accused of ordering these raids and exerting undue pressure on Kunwar.
“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 Faiz Hameed (Retd).
“Consequently, appropriate disciplinary action has been initiated against Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd), under provisions of the Pakistan Army Act.
“In addition, multiple instances of violation of the Pakistan Army Act post-retirement have also been established. The process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (Retd) has been taken into military custody,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.
It is rare for someone of Gen Hameed’s rank to be arrested in Pakistan and this has sparked widespread speculation.
“It is a very unusual event and I don’t think there is any example of this present before at this level. People had very little hope or the idea that action would be taken at this level,” former Pakistan interior minister Rana Sanaullah said in an interview with Geo News.
His close ties with former Prime Minister Imran Khan have led many to link the arrest to their association.
He led the ISI during PM Khan’s administration, from 2019 to 2021, before taking early retirement in December 2022. PM Khan has been imprisoned for more than a year and is facing numerous charges.
The Top City controversy has been making headlines in Pakistan, with accusations of misconduct swirling around Hameed and his associates.
The scandal began in 2023 when Moeez Ahmed Khan, the proprietor of the Top City housing scheme, filed a petition with the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Further allegations suggest that Hameed’s brother, Sardar Najaf, arranged a meeting between Kunwar and a brigadier, during which Hameed promised to return some of the seized items but allegedly withheld the tolas of gold and a large sum of cash.
Khan has also accused Hameed of malicious prosecution and alleged that retired ISI officials Naeem Fakhar and Ghaffar pressured him to pay a significant sum of 4 crores in cash and support a private television network.
Additionally, the petition suggests that several former ISI officials were involved in an illicit takeover of the Top City Housing Society.