Pakistan's military sentences former spy chief Faiz Hameed to 14 years in jail

Pakistan's former ISI chief Faiz Hameed—who led the Inter-Services Intelligence from 2019–2021 and was a known supporter of jailed ex‑prime minister Imran Khan—has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court after a 15‑month court‑martial under the Pakistan Army Act on charges including violation of the Official Secrets Act, political interference, misuse of powers and resources, and causing harm to citizens. The closed‑door proceedings began Aug. 12, 2024; the military's public relations arm said Hameed had the right to a defence team and to appeal (first to the army chief and ultimately the Supreme Court), and his lawyer has said he will seek an appeal. As the first-ever court‑martial of an ISI chief, the case represents a rare public break within Pakistan's power structures and carries potential political implications amid separate inquiries into alleged links to protests following Imran Khan’s May 2023 arrest.

Analysis

Pakistan's former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Faiz Hameed has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court after a 15‑month court‑martial that began on Aug. 12, 2024, on charges including violation of the Official Secrets Act, involvement in political activities, misuse of powers and resources, and causing harm to citizens. Hameed led the ISI from 2019–2021, was a known supporter of ex‑prime minister Imran Khan, took early retirement after Khan's ouster in 2022, and is the first ISI chief to be court‑martialled; details of the closed‑door proceedings remain undisclosed. The military public relations arm (ISPR) stated Hameed had the right to a defence team and to appeal first to the army chief and ultimately to the Supreme Court; his lawyer has said he will seek those appeals and maintains his client's innocence. The case represents a rare public fracture within Pakistan's power structures and, combined with separate inquiries into alleged links with protests following Imran Khan's May 9, 2023 arrest, raises governance and political‑stability uncertainty that the provided sentiment score classifies as moderately negative (sentiment_score -0.5) with a modest market impact (market_impact_score 0.35).

Key Decisions for Investors

• Reassess direct and indirect exposure to Pakistani sovereign, local‑currency and politically sensitive corporate positions and increase monitoring given elevated governance and political risk
• Delay initiating material new Pakistan allocations until the army‑chief appeal outcome and any Supreme Court review provide clearer legal precedent and signals on civil‑military stability
• Implement or widen political‑risk mitigants (reduce position sizes or use hedges) and define stop‑loss triggers tied to public disclosures or escalation of protest activity
• Monitor three specific near‑term triggers closely: publication of the military judgment, the army‑chief appeal decision, and any formal findings linking Hameed to the May 2023 protests