Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, without naming incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, stated that the political career of those who crossed “red lines” has come to an end. He claimed that many of Khan’s decisions were influenced by former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid. According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on December 11, the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) sentenced Hamid to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, misusing authority, and causing wrongful loss to others. Replying to a question, Talal said Hamid was punished for crossing red lines. He added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had faced both military dictatorship and what he described as the “political dictatorship” of the PTI founder. The PTI came to power in August 2018 and was removed via a no-confidence vote in April 2022. “Our focus is on improving people’s lives and ending terrorism,” he said, taking a jab at the former ruling party. “Could any political party have sought help from India, advanced its agenda, and carried out May 9?” he questioned, referring to the 2023 riots triggered by Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court. Talal claimed that many of Khan’s decisions were made based on Hamid’s advice and suggested that actions taken after the PTI government’s ouster were likely influenced by the former ISI chief. He added that the “beneficiary” of these actions was PTI, while the losses were borne by the people of Pakistan. Commenting on the military court’s verdict, he said institutions are undertaking self-accountability and urged political parties and the judiciary to follow suit. Earlier, speaking on Geo News’ “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, Senator Faisal Vawda claimed that the court-martialled Hamid was expected to testify against Khan, potentially increasing the former premier’s legal troubles. Vawda, a former PTI leader, said Hamid would present evidence against Khan, describing the ex-premier as “caught in the legal squeeze” related to the May 9 cases. During the May 9 protests, miscreants targeted civil and military installations, including the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. “The grip of the law will not stop here,” he remarked, adding that Hamid’s 14-year sentence “will not be reduced”. Vawda further alleged that providing details of military installations ahead of the May-9 events “was Faiz Hamid’s responsibility”. “Once the matter is clear, the first number is that of PTI and its founder,” he stated. Discussing the role of former army chief Gen Retired Qamar Javed Bajwa, Vawda said Bajwa had shown “negligence and incompetence”, but later attempted to remove Hamid after realising the implications. However, he said Bajwa had been deemed “exonerated”, meaning “there will be no action against him”. Speaking in the same programme, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that the May 9 events were a “joint plan” involving the former ISI chief and the PTI founder. He claimed the violence was aimed at “overturning the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir”. Asif said the PTI founder “could not have carried out May 9 [riots] alone”, asserting that Hamid had retained influence even after retirement. He added that further cases could still be filed against him. The minister argued that the civilian authority to appoint the army chief had never been challenged in the past, but insisted that former army chief Bajwa had used pressure and issued threats to block the appointment of Munir. He further claimed that Bajwa initially pushed for Hamid to become the army chief, and later proposed other names to alter the process.
Politics is over for those who crossed the red line : Talal Chaudhary
