Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday held ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed responsible for the ouster of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017, adding that more charges against him were to come soon. Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, the defence minister said, “A former head of ISI has been convicted in a trial that ran for 15 months; there are still other charges on which legal proceedings will be initiated soon.”

The defence minister assailed the former spymaster, claiming that the former prime minister was ousted through a “conspiracy”. “The removal of Nawaz, the cases lodged against him, the allegations, and Imran’s coming into power, this whole project was enacted under the supervision of Faiz Hameed,” the defence minister said. He said that Hameed, along with his “partner” Imran, was responsible for causing “significant damage” to the country.

Asif also said that Hameed was “in charge of project Imran”, highlighting the 2018 general elections. “Faiz was the most important part of that government,” the minister stated. He recalled that during PTI’s tenure, the ex-spymaster facilitated the “imprisonment of opponents”. “He used to threaten and imprison political opponents,” he said, stressing that Imran’s “vision” was materialised through Hameed. The minister alleged that Hameed’s main beneficiary was Imran.

The minister termed the period a “shameful” chapter in the country’s history. The minister alleged that “bringing Imran into power, lodging cases against Nawaz Sharif, exiling him, imprisoning his family and his party leaders and workers, all of this was orchestrated by one mind, which was of General Faiz and its main beneficiary and the person whose interests were being protected was Imran Khan.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)