'I am amazed by this miracle': Pak Deputy PM on ex-ISI chief's arrest

Ishaq Dar, the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, described the recent arrest of former Pakistan spy chief Faiz Hameed as a "lesson" to those engaged in political manipulation and a "miracle" on Friday, according to ARY News.

Ishaq Dar Dar condemned the 2014 sit-ins in an interview with the media for igniting a "dirty political game" that has devastated the nation. The nation's economy has suffered greatly, the finance minister said, falling from the 24th to the 47th rank in the world, as he made a thinly veiled attack on Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

"I am amazed by this miracle of Allah," said Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, adding that "Such things have happened for the first time."

 

"I was also among the victims of General (r) Faiz Hameed," he added.

In addition, the deputy prime minister declared that parliamentary delegations would no longer be allowed to travel abroad, citing a recent instance in which five people "went missing" while on vacation. Dar emphasised that such behaviour degrades the nation, reported ARY News.

"No relatives or friends of parliamentarians will receive visas through government facilitation," Dar announced.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military declared this week that Hameed had been arrested on allegations of stealing goods from the owner of a private housing society and snatching land. The propaganda branch of the Pakistan Army said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Faiz Hameed was also the subject of court-martial proceedings.

The arrest of former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has come as another blow to Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, landing the party in yet another controversy.

However, Imran Khan, has labelled the arrest of Lt-Gen (retd.) Faiz Hameed, as an internal military issue, distancing his party from the controversy, as reported by The Express Tribune.

While speaking to the media after a meeting with senior lawyers at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Tuesday this week, Imran Khan's legal representative, Intezar Panjutha, said that the PTI chief had called for peaceful protests that night for the sake of freedom, emphasising the importance of demonstrations for the country.

Regarding ISI DG Faiz's arrest, Panjutha quoted the PTI chief as saying that it was purely a military matter with no connection to the party. He further clarified that there had been no political connection between Khan and Gen Faiz, alleging that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had replaced Gen Faiz following a deal with Nawaz Sharif, The Express Tribune reported.

Khan also suggested that if there was a connection between Faiz's arrest and the events of May 9, it would be an appropriate time to set up a judicial commission and bring the CCTV footage from that day to light, Panjutha pointed out, as reported by The Express Tribune.

Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was detained by the military, and court-martial proceedings were initiated against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority, and violating the Pakistan Army Act, as announced by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday.

Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was known to be a close associate of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was appointed as the head of ISI during Khan's tenure. The former ISI chief is considered the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan after the head of the army.