Pakistan’s move to prosecute former prime minister Imran Khan for a military trial is gaining momentum after the conviction of ex-ISI chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid, according to a CNN-News18 report.
Hamid, once among the country’s most influential generals, was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years by a military court — a highly unusual punishment for a retired three-star officer and the first known court-martial of a former intelligence chief.
Sources cited by News18 say investigators have extracted evidence during Hamid’s trial that they believe provides the “grounds” to proceed against Khan under the Official Secrets Act and related military laws. The material is said to implicate Khan in attempts to undermine state stability and fuel political agitation, allegations that mirror the language used by the military’s public relations arm, the ISPR, in its statement following Hamid’s conviction. The ISPR noted that issues involving “cohorts with political elements” were being handled separately, a remark widely read as pointing toward Khan.
The rapid escalation of a military trial coincides with parallel political measures targeting Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This week, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution demanding a ban on Khan and his party for allegedly acting against the state. Reports in Indian media, including The Shillong Times, indicate that a military-court process against Khan could clear the way for intelligence agencies to move formally against the PTI as an organisation. These developments come amid concerns voiced by Khan’s family over his isolation in custody, which briefly sparked fears for his safety.
Despite the mounting legal pressure, Khan’s support remains resilient. Writing in The Express Tribune, analyst and former air force officer Shahzad Chaudhry observed that Khan continues to be Pakistan’s most popular political figure, commanding a durable base in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and significant backing in other provinces. Chaudhry warned that attempts to eliminate Khan from politics ignore the magnitude of his following and the risks of inflaming sentiment within regions and segments of the security establishment that remain sympathetic to him.
The emerging confrontation raises a central question for Pakistan’s civil-military order: whether pushing Khan into a military trial will stabilise the political landscape or deepen the unrest that authorities accuse him of stoking.
