Pakistan’s military court has handed a 14-year prison sentence to former ISI director general Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed after a 15-month-long court-martial, marking one of the most dramatic downfalls of a senior military figure in recent years. Charged with political interference and violations of the Official Secrets Act, Hameed’s conviction exposes the toxic nexus of power, manipulation, and institutional overreach that has long shaped Pakistan’s political landscape.

The sentencing is being viewed as a rare public acknowledgment of a truth Pakistanis have known for decades: the military establishment has routinely influenced politics, engineered governments, and manipulated civilian institutions. Faiz Hameed, once seen as one of the most powerful men in Pakistan, symbolized the ruthless behind-the-scenes influence of the military. His meteoric rise and now his crash reflects the internal rivalries and power struggles within an institution that claims to be apolitical while acting as the ultimate kingmaker.

For years, political commentators accused Hameed of steering national politics from the shadows, including during the tenure of Imran Khan. Whether those allegations were ever formally recognized or not, the fact that he has now been convicted on charges linked to political interference is a devastating blow to the narrative that the military “does not meddle in politics.”

The trial also underscores the opacity of Pakistan’s military justice system. Conducted entirely outside civilian oversight, the 15-month court-martial has raised as many questions as it has answered. In a country where elected leaders are dragged through public trials while generals are shielded by institutional privilege, the sudden decision to prosecute Faiz Hameed appears less like reform and more like internal score-settling.

Analysts argue that the sentencing is likely part of a broader struggle within the military elite, where rival factions compete for influence amid worsening national crises. Pakistan’s collapsing economy, rising terrorism, and plummeting international credibility have increased pressure on the military establishment, exposing internal fractures that were once tightly concealed.

For the public, the conviction is both revealing and ironic. Civilian governments, journalists, and activists have long been punished, jailed, or silenced for merely questioning the military’s political role. Now, for the first time in years, a senior general has been punished for the very same interference the establishment repeatedly denies.

What remains unchanged, however, is Pakistan’s structural imbalance. One general’s downfall does not signal institutional accountability. The military remains the dominant force shaping Pakistan’s political direction, economic priorities, and foreign policy. Faiz Hameed’s sentencing may be significant, but it is also a reminder of how deeply political manipulation is embedded in the system.

In the end, the conviction exposes the contradictions of a state where the most powerful institution hides behind apolitical claims while continuing to dictate national outcomes. Faiz Hameed’s fall is dramatic but it is also just one chapter in Pakistan’s long history of military overreach, internal turf wars, and the systematic weakening of civilian rule. 

This Image is taken from Hindustan Times.