• Defence minister says accountability of ‘conspirators’ to continue
• Says Pakistan being revived through ‘hybrid system’
• ‘Plotters’ still trying to ‘facilitate Imran’s return’
• Alleges PTI leaders ‘bribe’ Taliban, want talks with ‘enemies’
NAROWAL: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday maintained that the deadly riots on May 9, 2023 was a ‘joint venture’ between ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed and PTI founder Imran Khan, vowing that the process of accountability for ‘enemies’ of Pakistan, whether they were civilian or in uniform, would continue.
The minister also asserted there were still other charges against Hameed on which legal proceedings would be initiated soon.
He made these remarks after the former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence was sentenced to a 14-year jail term in a case related to violating secrecy laws, engaging in political activities, misuse of authority and causing harm to others.
Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, Mr Asif claimed both the ex-spymaster and the ex-premier were partners in the ‘plan to destroy Pakistan and its army’. “Faiz Hameed and Imran Khan were equally involved in planning what happened in Mianwali, Lahore, Peshawar, and in front of GHQ on May 9,” he said.
“Those who have put the country’s future at stake for power cannot be considered Pakistanis whether they are in uniform like Faiz or in a waistcoat and Peshawari sandals like Imran,” he added.
Calling the May 9 riots an ‘attack on the sanctity of the armed forces’, he said the same institution had restored national pride through Operation Bunyanul Marsoos against India in May, earning Pakistan international acclaim.
“God forbid, if the Faiz-Imran nexus still existed, perhaps there would not have been a need for war at all since they would have ensured the country’s destruction from the inside,” he said.
Nawaz’s ouster, parliament’s role
The minister alleged Hameed was in charge of ‘Project Imran’, blaming him for the ouster of prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017. “The removal of Nawaz Sharif, the cases lodged against him, the allegations, and Imran’s [Khan] coming into power, this whole project was enacted under the supervision of Faiz Hameed. Nawaz Sharif was kept in prison during the 2018 elections. Imran [Khan] had put Nawaz Sharif, his family members and other politicians in jail through Faiz.”
He claimed Mr Khan was made the prime minister through rigging under Hameed’s supervision and alleged that they played a ‘dangerous game’ with the country during the next four years. He said the ex-spymaster facilitated the ‘imprisonment of political opponents’.
While terming the period a ‘shameful chapter’ in country’s history, the defence minister said parliament was converted into an ISI ‘subsidiary’. “During the Faiz’s tenure [as ISI chief], the agency used to dictate legislation to parliament.”
He claimed that after Hameed’s transfer, the ‘project’ started to slowly ‘unravel’, but as a corps commander he continued to facilitate Mr Khan. “Faiz used to plan mischief in Pakistan, and the PTI provided the manpower to execute those plans.”
‘Conspirators still active’
While admitting that the current system of governance a ‘hybrid system’ involving cooperation between the government and the military, the defence minister said the stability was brought through this.
But, he added, conspirators were again attempting to prop up the PTI founder and bring him back to power, adding that ‘all these seeds were sown by Faiz’. He said 3,000 to 4,000 Afghans were brought to and settled in Pakistan to cause mischief in the country. “These Afghans were accommodated in the homes of citizens.”
He accused PTI leaders of bribing the Taliban, alleging that party wanted to hold talks with Pakistan’s ‘enemies’.
About the recent conviction of the ex-spymaster, the minister noted that Hameed still had the right to appeal at relevant forums, including the army’s court of appeals and high court.
Published in media, December 14th, 2025
American Dollar Exchange Rate