Bajwa wanted Faiz Hamid as army chief, threatened takeover, says Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa “threatened to take over” in 2022 and wanted Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid to be appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff.

Speaking on a Geo News programme on Thursday, Asif said that during the appointment process for the new army chief in 2022, “no one in our party personally knew Gen Asim Munir,” and the government was committed to “ensuring merit.”

He further alleged that Gen Bajwa “resisted the appointment for eight to nine days” and “kept giving threats and inducements,” insisting that the government grant him an extension. “He would sometimes lure, sometimes threaten,” Asif said.

The minister also said that the former army chief initially “attempted to have Faiz Hamid appointed as the head of the army.”

Khawaja Asif’s remarks come at a time when former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment by a military court after being found guilty on four charges.

According to the ISPR, the charges against him included engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, misusing authority and state resources, and causing harm to citizens, all of which were deemed detrimental to the interests of the state.

Faiz Hamid’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, told BBC Urdu that he had been instructed to file an appeal against the decision.

He said a request for a copy of the judgment and relevant record would be submitted to the military court, and an appeal must be filed before the Court of Appeal within 40 days.