Faiz Hameed’s case and PTI’s apprehensions: Legal action for using person under Army Act for gains, says DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army said Thursday the law will take its course against whosoever, regardless of position and status, uses a person serving under the Army Act for personal or political gains.

Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt. Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry stated this at at a press conference when he was asked about apprehensions of the leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that their party founder could be implicated in the case against for ISI DG Lt Gen (R) Faiz Hameed.

The ISPR chief made it clear that whoever faces a court martial has the right to present evidence and to move an appeal.

He expressed the hope that the case of Faiz Hameed would serve as an example for other institutions to hold their personnel accountable for using their positions for personal and political agenda.

He said Faiz Hameed’s case speaks of the military leadership’s seriousness in addressing the issue. “We hope this indiscriminate self-accountability will persuade the other institutions that if any of their personnel uses positions for personal or political agenda, they will be held accountable,” he said.

Gen Ahmad said there was a complete consensus in the army that it would be protected from being used for accomplishment of any political interests. He maintained the army had no political agenda and it neither opposed nor supported any political party.

“Pakistan Army always has professional and official relations with every government. The same is clearly mentioned in the Constitution and the country’s laws and it neither opposes nor supports any political party,” he said.

“It is important to note that if any personnel of Pakistan Army is found serving his personal interests or promoting any particular political agenda for his own interests, then the army’s self-accountability process comes into action. On the basis of evidences and proofs, those responsible have to be answerable for their deeds,” he said, adding that the ongoing accountability process was evident of the same fact. He observed that the best asset of institutions was trust of people in them.

Gen Ahmad said the army believed in self-accountability, which was a comprehensive, strong, transparent and time-tested process. “This system of self-accountability instead of mere allegations works on solid evidence and proofs,” the DG ISPR said. He recalled that the army’s media wing apprised the national media of the court-martial process started against Faiz Hameed against whom an application was received from a housing society.

“With belief in a transparent accountability process in the institution, the matter was referred to the Pakistan Army through the Ministry of Defence and in April this year, a high-level court of inquiry was ordered for complete investigation into the same case,” he said. On the completion of inquiry, it was announced that the retired general had violated concerned clauses of the Army Act. On the basis of these allegations, the process of field general court martial has been started. At the same time, the DG ISPR mentioned that the officers facing the field general court martial would have the right to appeal and engage lawyers.

To a question, he maintained that the accused retired officer would have the complete right to defend himself. He said the army was fully aware of its professional duties and there would be no compromise on the country’s security. “It is the need of the hour that individually and collectively, we make Pakistan strong so that as a nation we can meet the challenges facing the country,” he said.

Gen Ahmad said only a secure Pakistan could guarantee a stronger Pakistan.

Giving the details of counter-terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan during the past eight months, he said 32,173 intelligence based operations (IBOs) were carried out, including 4,021 operations conducted last month, killing 90 Khawarij.

The DG ISPR said over 130 IBOs were being conducted on a daily basis by the army, intelligence, police and other law enforcement agencies. He said 193 soldiers and officers of army embraced martyrdom during the past eight months and vowed that the war against terrorism will continue till the elimination of last Khawarij.

He said those who carried out the terrorist attacks in Balochistan recently had nothing to do with Islam, humanity and Baloch norms. Giving a clear message to terrorists and their facilitators, Gen Ahmed said the state will deal the enemies of people and development process with an iron hand.

Answering a question, he said the army, intelligence and other law-enforcement agencies had so far cleared over 46,000 square kilometers of area and there was no “no go area” in Pakistan. He said the campaign against terrorism had four phases: clear, hold, build and transfer. He said the armed forces had successfully completed the phases of clear and hold and now there was a need to complete the other two phases with the local and provincial governments in the lead.