Investigations underway against ex-DG ISI Faiz Hamid: interior minister

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said that the investigation agencies were conducting an inquiry regarding former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid and any progress in it will be shared.

The minister shared the information while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, following the imposition of Section 144 in Lahore ahead of Aurat March and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) election rally.

"Only the institution can do Faiz's court martial," Sanaullah said, adding that the General Headquarters (GHQ) holds the military trial, not the interior ministry.

He said that whatever was being done was required and PTI Chairman Imran Khan will be arrested when need be.

Moreover, the minister requested Jamat-e-Islami (JI) to organise Haya March on March 7 or 9, instead of March 8 when there are several events, including the Aurat March, which is held on account of International Women's Day

"Aurat March is taking place on March 8, our mothers and sisters are marching in it," he said, adding that the day holds immense importance for the women.

He said that the women take to the streets to highlight two separate narratives.

'Section 144 imposed after agencies' reports'

While speaking about the ban on public gatherings imposed in Lahore, Sanaullah said that the government imposed Section 144 in light of security reports by the agencies.

The interior minister said that the government imposed Section 144 in light of reports by the security agencies.

He said that PTI had been asked to share the route of their rally but Khan's group didn't provide any details.

"Fitna, anarchy, and chaos are his [Khan's] ways. There are no such people in the system who have stopped the Law Enforcement Agencies [LEAs]," he added.

The minister said that there were several events, including Aurat March and Haya March, simultaneously taking place in Lahore.

While mocking the PTI chief, Sanaullah said, "Imrani fitna announced the burger march" and selected the same place for their election rally which the Aurat March rally organisers had already picked.

He said that "fitna Khan found it fit to highlight his own fitna in between” all these happenings.

Sanaullah said that everything was being done in the same area therefore any untoward incident can occur in such a situation.

"On one hand, [Khan's] leg has a plaster on for five months and he can't move due to 72 years of age," he said, challenging Khan to appear in the courts if he has recovered from the bullet wounds he sustained in a bid on his life in Wazirabad last year.

He said that the courts had been seeking replies from the deposed prime minister but he is getting relief instead.

'Khan getting relief would raise questions on judiciary'

Sanaullah further stated that the courts had been seeking replies from the deposed prime minister but he is getting relief instead.

"Any further relief for him [Khan] will raise questions. Judiciary's impartiality will be hurt," he added.

Heaping scorn on the PTI chief, Sanaullah said that Khan wanted to establish the state of Madina but his actions are totally opposed to it.

He said that Khan didn't want to appear in the courts on the basis of his excuses.

"You [Khan] don't even have the defence in three of the cases [against him]," the minister said.

Sanaullah requested the courts not to give any more relief to Khan in case he skips the hearings on March 13 again.