Pakistan's military sentences its former spy chief to 14 years in jail

Pakistan's former spy chief has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court, on charges including violation of state secrets and interfering in politics.

Faiz Hameed led Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 2019 to 2021, during the tenure of now-jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

He was known to be a staunch supporter of Khan, and took early retirement shortly after Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022.

It is the first time that an ISI chief in Pakistan has been court martialled.

The ISI chief is seen as the second most powerful position in Pakistan's military.

According to a press release issued by the public relations arm of Pakistani military (ISPR), the 15-month-long court martial proceeding began on August 12, 2024, under the Pakistan Army Act.

Hameed was tried on four charges, including "involvement in political activities, violation of the Official Secrets Act which harmed the interest of the state, misuse of his powers and government resources, and causing harm to citizens".

The ISPR statement added that Hameed had been given "the right to have a defence team of his choice" and that he has the right to appeal the decision in the "appropriate forum", which would be the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The exact details of the case are not public as the hearing was held behind closed doors in a military court.

The statement says that Hameed's alleged involvement in fomenting political agitation and instability is being dealt with separately.

This is assumed to be regarding allegations that Hameed was tied to protests against Imran Khan's arrest on 9 May 2023.