Pakistan’s internal power struggle appears to be entering a far more dangerous phase, with claims emerging that former ISI chief Faiz Hamid is preparing to testify against jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. This comes immediately after Hamid was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a Field General Court Martial on charges that include political interference. His conviction, combined with a separate probe into his alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023, attacks on military installations, has placed him under intense pressure — a situation that now appears to be leveraged by the current Army Chief, General Asim Munir, who has long been considered Imran Khan’s most powerful rival.
According to Pakistani senator Faisal Vawda, Hamid is ready to provide evidence implicating Imran in actions that could qualify as treason under Pakistani law. A treason conviction would carry either life imprisonment or the death penalty, dramatically escalating the stakes for Imran, who is already serving multiple convictions and remains behind bars. Vawda described Hamid as being firmly “caught in the legal squeeze,” suggesting that cooperation with the military establishment may be his only path toward leniency.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reinforced these claims by stating that the violence of May 9 — which involved attacks on the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore, the Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, and several other military facilities — was part of a coordinated plan orchestrated jointly by Imran Khan and Faiz Hamid. Asif argued that the intention behind the violence was to undermine and possibly overturn the appointment of Asim Munir as Army Chief, accusing Hamid of continuing to wield significant influence even after his retirement.
Underlying this confrontation is a long-standing personal and institutional rivalry. Asim Munir was once appointed ISI Director-General by General Qamar Javed Bajwa, but Imran Khan removed him after just eight months. Reports at the time suggested that Munir had launched inquiries into allegations involving Imran’s wife, Bushra Bibi. Imran replaced him with Faiz Hamid, a move that created deep resentment within the military leadership. Today, Munir is the most powerful figure in Pakistan, and his decisions have shaped the country’s political trajectory since Imran’s ouster in 2022.
If Faiz Hamid now provides incriminating testimony, Imran Khan could face a treason trial — a process that would permanently eliminate him from Pakistan’s political landscape. Such a trial would also signal a dramatic consolidation of power by the military establishment, effectively reasserting its authority over civilian politics.
These developments mark one of the most consequential phases in Pakistan’s modern political history. The combination of Hamid’s conviction, Munir’s growing influence, and the possibility of treason charges against Imran suggests that the conflict between Pakistan’s most powerful institutions and its most popular political leader may be reaching a decisive turning point.
