Faiz Hameed: Pakistan Army Lt general at centre of political row

Lt General Faiz Hameed is currently posted as the Peshawar Corps Commander

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS Pakistan's new Army chief should be a person of "flawless" reputation, ruling coalition leader Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's remarks that former ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed's name could be considered for the top post.

Lt General Faiz Hameed served as the ISI chief from June 16, 2019, to October 19, 2021, and is currently posted as the Peshawar Corps Commander.

When Imran Khan was Prime Minister, Lt General Faiz Hameed is said to have been handling military and diplomatic roles. He is also known to fight Imran Khan's political opponents, particularly the family of exiled three-time prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.

PML-N Vice-president Maryam has been critical of General Hameed due to his alleged role as the ISI chief in supporting former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), though the Army always rejected such allegations.

Hameed was appointed the chief of the Pakistan Army’s strategic intelligence agency in June 2019 by Qamar Javed Bajwa. Bajwa and Hameed's relationship dates back to the mid-2010s.

"The nation looks at the Army for the unity and security of Pakistan. So it is important that the Army chief is a person who is worthy and flawless so that people salute the Pakistan Army," Maryam, the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said at a press conference when asked about the defence minister's remarks.

Hameed rose to prominence in 2017, during protests by a religious group called Tehreek-e-Labbaik. They were protesting against a change in the oath of office in the Elections Act. Hameed had reportedly helped broker a deal that ended the protests.

Hameed has been described by experts as being a hardline officer.

Current Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the government will ‘definitely consider’ Hameed for the coveted post of Chief of Army Staff if his name was on the seniority list. Former president Asif Ali Zardari had earlier said that Hameed had been sidelined.