Faizabad Dharna case: Former ISI Chief Faiz Hameed summoned

ISLAMABAD: The Faizabad Dharna Commission has summoned the former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG-ISI), Lt. Gen. (r) Faiz Hameed. The commission, tasked with investigating the Tehreek-e-Laibak Pakistan (TLP) sit-in at Faizabad, Islamabad, has requested Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed to present evidence related to the event.

Officials revealed to the Hum Investigation Team that the Ministry of Defence, on behalf of the commission, issued a notice to Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, urging him to appear before the commission next week. His statement and all relevant evidence are expected to be recorded during this session.

Ex-ISI chief expected to appear before Faizabad Dharna Commission

This marks the second time that General Faiz has been summoned by the Faizabad Dharna Commission. Although he was called two weeks ago, he did not make an appearance. Officials speaking to Hum said that it the short notice period could have been the reason for his non-appearance. This is why the commission has issued another notice to ensure sufficient time for compliance, according to a well-informed official from the Hum Investigation Team.

Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, who served as the Director General (counter-terrorism) of ISI, played a pivotal role in engaging with TLP protesters in Islamabad and in reaching a peaceful resolution in 2017 during the tenure of then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The commission has been actively recording statements from key stakeholders, including former PM Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal. Informed officials anticipate that the commission is likely to conclude its report by the second week of January 2024.