Tag: Faiz Hameed

  • ‘Vote ko izzat do’ dumped? PML-N to adopt new aggressive narrative against Bajwa, Faiz, Khan, Saqib Nisar, Asif Khosa

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will soon adopt an aggressive narrative against five individuals as it prepares for elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    According to a news report, the five individuals against whom the PML-N will turn its guns with full ferocity are General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, former Chief Justices of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa along with former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    The report states that the senior leadership of PML-N have recommended to party supremo Nawaz Sharif that the PML-N’s focus should be on Bajwa, Faiz, Khan, Nisar and Khosa for being solely responsible for conspiring to dislodge the Nawaz-led government in 2017 and rigging polls in 2018 to install the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    After ‘vote ko izzat dou’ [Give respect to the vote], almost everyone in the PML-N agrees that attacks on these five individuals should be the new narrative of the party.

    Quoting a senior unnamed member of PML-N, the report shared, “Almost everyone is of the view that the rebranded narrative cannot succeed unless it takes the fight directly to the main characters of the political events of the last six years, who played a key role in bringing about the Tabdeeli project in the shape of Imran Khan. This is a project which could never have succeeded without full support from Saqib Nisar, General Bajwa, General Faiz Hameed, Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar. Everyone in Pakistan is aware of the role these characters played violating rules, Constitution, law and oath.”

  • Aide to PM arrested over Shehbaz’s audio leaks: report

    Aide to PM arrested over Shehbaz’s audio leaks: report

    A former aide to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif was arrested over his connection with the premier’s audio leaks, released in September and October, a media report has said.

    On their YouTube show Talk Shock, veteran journalists Azaz Syed and Umar Cheema have revealed that ADC to PM Shehbaz, identified as Major Arsalan, had recorded and leaked the audio clips. Afterward, he was taken into detention by Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) General Nadeem Anjum on the directives of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    According to Azaz, Major Arsalan had earlier served as an ADC to former Corps Commander Bahawalpur Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, and was allegedly transferring the Premier’s recorded conversations to Bahawalpur.

    The major himself confessed to committing the crime, Azaz Syed said on the programme. He said that whenever there was an important meeting, Major Arsalan used to have a secret phone specifically for recording the conversation or calls.

    Shehbaz Sharif had been told about the development.

    It is pertinent to mention that since the ouster of former PM Imran Khan, several audio leaks came out to the public adding more drama to the country’s politics.

    Earlier, Federal Minister for Interior, Rana Sanaullah claimed that the matter of the premier’s audio leaks is not related to an agency, but a few people, who had been identified. He added that these people belong to the staff of the PM House.

    In one of the audio leaks, PM Shehbaz and an unidentified person talked about a power plant to be imported from India for PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law. In the other audio leak, the unknown person is allegedly telling the premier that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is asking for their “shares” for the Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) as well.

  • ‘General Faiz ne hamaaray sath ziyaadtiaan ki’: CM Pervaiz Elahi says former DG ISI was against him

    ‘General Faiz ne hamaaray sath ziyaadtiaan ki’: CM Pervaiz Elahi says former DG ISI was against him

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has accused former spy chief Faiz Hameed of wanting to put him and his son Moonis Elahi behind bars.

    In an explosive interview with ARY News’ programme ‘The Reporters’, Elahi said that General Faiz called the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and asked him to put the father and son behind bars.

    “General [retd] Faiz ne humary sath ziyaatiyaan ki”, (General (retd) Faiz did grave injustices to us), Elahi said, emphasizing that the former head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was “strongly against” him.

    He also revealed that he had taken up the matter with the ex-COAS General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa. Gen Faiz had then informed the army chief that the alleged political persecution had been ordered by Imran Khan.

    ‘Bajwa sahab humray mohsin hain’: CM Elahi

    Throughout the interview, the chief minister regretted Imran Khan’s remarks against General [retd] Bajwa. He reminded that General [retd] Bajwa is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) benefactor and they shouldn’t be “ungrateful”.

    Elahi said that he told Moonis Elahi: “Bajwa sahab humray mohsin hain, aap ke mohsin hain, PTI ke mohsin hain. Khuda ka wasta hai un ke khilaf kuch na bolay” (Bajwa sahab is ours, yours and PTI’s benefactor, so don’t speak against him).

    He said he had reiterated the same in his meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan a day ago at Imran’s Zaman Park residence. “He [Imran] replied: ‘I’ve received many requests [not to speak against Bajwa],’ so I said: ‘Then accept them,’” Elahi added.

    “The injustice that Imran Khan did was making us sit beside him and criticising Bajwa sahab.”

    Elahi said General Bajwa met the Saudi king and the crown prince, went to Qatar to bring money for Pakistan and even worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support Khan’s government.

    He said that he felt “very bad but could not speak to Khan in privacy before he made a long speech and announced the dissolution of Punjab and KP assemblies on Saturday.”

    The chief minister also claimed that 99 per cent of the people within PTI were against Khan’s decision regarding the dissolution of assemblies.

    ‘Mei ne kaha GET OUT’, CM Elahi gives shut up call to PTI member for speaking against General Bajwa

    He also warned that he and his party won’t tolerate a word against ex-COAS. He said that he even gave a shut up call to PTI’s Sardar Hasnain Bahadar Dreshak for speaking against Gen Bajwa.

    “Mai toh cabinet mein bardaasht nahi karta, pehlay din hee keh diya tha. Dreshak ne cabinet mei bak bak shuru kardi. Mei ne kaha get out” (I told everyone on the first day that I wouldn’t tolerate this behaviour in the cabinet. When Dreshak started speaking nonsense, I said get out).

    Dreshak resigned from his post as the provincial minister for food on December 17. Earlier, it was reported that he and Elahi exchanged heated words during a cabinet meeting on Friday after which the minister left the room in protest and later sent his resignation.

    About Usman Buzdar

    CM Elahi took a direct jibe at former CM of Punjab, Usman Buzdar, stating that he had ruined the province and that Elahi sorted things out with four months of hard work.

    In response, Buzdar said that criticism of him is like criticising the PTI narrative. He added that he also has a lot to say but he has never spoken ill about anyone.

    Moonis Elahi met Imran Khan

    Following Elahi’s interview, Imran Khan called Moonis Elahi to his residence and discussed his father’s “harsh” statements. The younger Elahi explained his father’s, his own and his party’s stance with regard to Bajwa.

    On Sunday, Khan also said that he would not take any action against Gen (retd) Bajwa if he attains power again, saying his grievances with the former COAS were not a personal dispute.

    The former premier made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

  • ‘Will not join politics after [the] two-year bar nor afterwards’: Gen Faiz Hameed

    ‘Will not join politics after [the] two-year bar nor afterwards’: Gen Faiz Hameed

    Former Director-General (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), General (retd) Faiz Hameed clarified that all speculations about his joining politics or leading the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were false. “I will not join politics after two-year bar nor afterward,” he categorically said, reports The News.

    On Thursday, a video of the former spy chief went viral on social media, showing the General attending a gathering in his native village Latifal in Chakwal. An unidentied person, addressing the gathering, praised the retired general for his services in the military and for all he did for the development of the area. The speaker requested the retired Faiz Hameed to join politics and play a role in the development of the country.

    “We will be with you throughout, and we practically want you to join politics and serve the people like you did when you were in service. We want that once you join politics, people should know that you are back and are helping the people way more than they can imagine,” said the unknown man in the video. The retired General, who is seated on a sofa, smiles back.

    Lt Gen (retd) Faiz had retired from service after General Asim Munir took command of the Pakistan Army as the chief of army staff.

    The former DG ISI had requested early retirement after the prime minister had approved Gen Asim Munir and Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza’s elevation to the four-star rank.

    His application for early retirement was approved on December 2 after the Defence Ministry forwarded his request to the premier.

  • Lt General Faiz Hameed plans to take early retirement after COAS appointment

    Lt General Faiz Hameed plans to take early retirement after COAS appointment

    Lieutenant Generals (Lt Gen) Faiz Hameed and Azhar Abbas are reportedly contemplating planning early retirement following the appointment of Lt Gen Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    Lt General Abbas is officially set to retire on April 27 next year while Lt General Hameed is scheduled to retire on April 30, 2023.

    Both are from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Long Course.

    Earlier in the week, General Headquarters (GHQ) sent a summary containing the names of the six senior-most lieutenant generals to the Ministry of Defence for consideration for the two top military posts.

    It is pertinent to mention that the summary included the names of Lt Gen Azhar Abbas and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as candidates for the posts of army chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJSC).

    On November 25, Lt Gen Asim Munir was officially appointed as the new army chief of Pakistan while Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza was appointed (CJSC), the two seniormost men on the list making the final cut.

  • What is new army chief Asim Munir like? This is what Twitter has to say

    What is new army chief Asim Munir like? This is what Twitter has to say

    Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Asim Munir has been officially appointed as the new Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan after President Dr Arif Alvi signed the summary on Thursday evening.

    Following the development, the new army chief separately met Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and President Alvi.

    Lt- Gen Munir entered the service via the Officers Training School (OTS) programme in Mangla, and was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment. He has been a close aide of the incumbent COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa ever since he commanded troops in the Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier under him.

    He was later appointed Director General Military Intelligence in early 2017, and in October next year was made the ISI chief. However, he was replaced soon by Lt- Gen Faiz Hameed within eight months, reportedly on the insistence of the then Prime Minister, Imran Khan. He was posted as Gujranwala Corps commander for two years, before being moved to the GHQ as Quartermaster General.

    Well, this is the information that we know so far but Twitterati has some interesting details as well.

  • DG ISPR and 11 others promoted to lieutenant general

    DG ISPR and 11 others promoted to lieutenant general

    Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Babar Iftikhar, has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the ISPR announced on Tuesday (today).

    Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar is presently serving as the ISPR Director General, a post he has held since January 2020.

    Major General Inam Haider Malik, Major General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Major General Nauman Zakria, Major General Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Major General Ayman Bilal Safdar, Major General Ahsan Gulrez, Major General Syed Aamer Raza, Major General Shahid Imtiaz, Major General Muhammad Munir Afsar, Major General Yousaf Jamal, and Major General Kashif Nazir have also been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.

    In August, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was appointed the Corps Commander, Bahawalpur. Lt Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat replaced him as the new Corps Commander, Peshawar.

    The same month, Lt Gen Asif Ghafoor was appointed as the Commander XII Corps (Quetta), replacing Lt Gen Sarfraz Ali, who was martyred in a helicopter crash during flood relief operations in Balochistan.

  • ‘Name the neutrals, have some courage’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad challenges Imran Khan

    ‘Name the neutrals, have some courage’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad challenges Imran Khan

    Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Malik Ahmad Khan challenged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and said that he should show some courage and name the neutral who gave him the guarantee that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja will remain neutral.

    “You [Imran Khan] said that the neutral said to you that they take to guarantee that CEC will remain neutral. Now name the neutral if you have the courage to do so. Did Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa say this to you or your DG ISI General Faiz Hameed? Have some audacity and courage and name him. You claim to be a fighter, then name the person who said this to you.”

    “Show some courage and take names,” said Malik Ahmad to Imran Khan.

    Malik Ahmad’s comments came after the PTI chairman’s recent interview on Express News.

    Talking about CEC Raja, the former prime minister said that the neutrals guaranteed that the new ECP chief would remain neutral.

    “We were in a deadlock situation, that’s when the neutrals approached us and said that they will provide us with a candidate for the position of election commissioner and no will oppose him. We agreed to it. It was the neutrals who suggested Sikander Sultan’s name, I didn’t even know him. The moment his [Sikander Sutan Raja’s] name came out, people told us he is associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N],” said the PTI chairman.

    “I approached the neutrals again and told them that he is associated with the PML-N, to which they said we take guarantee of him that he will remain neutral,” said Imran Khan, adding that we made a huge mistake.

  • Establishment is calling me, but I’ve blocked their numbers: Khan

    Establishment is calling me, but I’ve blocked their numbers: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan claimed Friday that the establishment is messaging him but he is not ready to talk to them, adding that he has blocked their numbers.

    “I am not going to speak to anyone until the date for the elections is announced,” the ex-premier said while speaking to journalists.

    Anchorperson Shahzad Iqbal said Imran Khan told media persons that when he referred to neutrals, he meant none other than the country’s powerful establishment.

    “I couldn’t even think that corruption was not an issue for powerful quarters and they would impose these criminals on the country, but unfortunately, that happened,” the ex-premier said, according to Shahzad Iqbal.

    “Instead of handing over the reins of power to these people, it would have been better if an atomic bomb had been dropped on Pakistan.”

    The PTI chairman said he had learned about the “conspiracy” in June last year, but unfortunately, “all the decisions” were made to weaken his government — and it was eventually sent packing.

    The former prime minister said “powerful quarters” wanted Usman Buzdar removed as the chief minister, but he would tell them that there was “more corruption and governance issues in Sindh”.

    Addressing PTI workers in Mardan, Khan said that he was ousted from power through a conspiracy hatched jointly by America and Pakistani Opposition parties’ leaders. He said he sent former finance minister Shaukat Tarin to ‘neutrals’ to stop the conspiracy being hatched against his government, as otherwise Pakistan’s economy would be ruined.

    But the ‘neutrals’ did not play their role to block the way of conspirators, he said, adding that a no-confidence move was allowed to succeed to replace him with “looters and plunderers”.

    “I know very well who conspired against me. The face of every Mir Jaffar who conspired against me is written on my heart,” said Khan.

    Talking about Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Khan said that he knew about telephonic conversations between Bilawal’s mother, Benazir Bhutto, who used to tell Bilawal on phone calls about where their money is abroad. “Bilawal is going to America and he will only ask them to help him. He will ask for money because they [ fear] Imran Khan will be back.”

  • ‘Comments on Faiz Hameed made by politicians very inappropriate’: ISPR

    ‘Comments on Faiz Hameed made by politicians very inappropriate’: ISPR

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said that the Peshawar Corps was an “illustrious formation” of the army and was spearheading the national war against terrorism for over two decades.

    “One of the most competent and professional officers is entrusted with the responsibility to lead this prestigious formation. Imprudent comments made by important senior politicians recently about [the] Peshawar Corps commander are very inappropriate,” the ISPR said.

    “It is expected that the senior political leadership of [the] country refrains from passing objectionable remarks against the institution, whose brave officers and men are constantly putting their lives on the line to guard the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan,” read the statement.

    ISPR Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar reiterated that “many statements” were made in the last few days by the country’s politicians and termed them “highly inappropriate”.

    “It must be clarified that there is no problem with fair criticism,” the military spokesperson said, lamenting that social media was being used to create propaganda instead of mere criticism.

    “We, as an institution, have nothing to do with the political situation of the country,” he said, adding that the institution was showing “tolerance and restraint and requesting that the army is not dragged into politics”.

    The appointment of the next army chief should not be made “controversial” by turning it into a topic of debate. He said the procedure for the appointment of the army chief had been outlined in the Constitution, adding that it would take place in accordance with the law.

    On Wednesday, Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had been asked about Lt Gen Hameed at a press conference in Karachi and had replied with: “The helpless Faiz Hameed has been sidelined.”

    Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said that the army chief should be a person who had a “flawless reputation”, free from any criticism or doubts.

    Maryam made these remarks in a press conference outside the Islamabad High Court on Thursday while answering a question about Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments, wherein he had said that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed’s name could be considered for the new army chief.

    She said that the Pakistan Army is a respected institution and added that “the whole nation looks at the armed forces for the stability and security of the country”.

    The PML-N leader reiterated that the army chief should be a person who has a “flawless reputation” and who is good for the people, country, and the institution.