The sentencing of Pakistan’s former spy chief, Faiz Hameed, may be “the beginning”, potentially paving the way for a series of new cases targeting politicians and activists accused of involvement in anti-army riots more than two years ago, a report said.

Hameed was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison by a military court, which found him guilty on multiple charges, including violating the Official Secrets Act and engaging in political activities.

According to Dawn, a statement issued by the army concentrated on his conviction under military laws, but its concluding paragraph drew particular scrutiny. “Involvement of the convict in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cahoots with political elements and in certain other matters is separately being dealt with,” the statement said, without elaboration.

The language suggested an effort to link Hameed and unnamed political figures to a broader attempt to engineer unrest, the report noted. It also marked the latest in a series of military communications since last year signalling suspicion and hinting at an alleged nexus between Hameed and political actors opposed to the government.

A previous ISPR statement from August 15, 2024, had said that “further investigations of certain retired officers and their accomplices for fomenting instability at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests are continuing.”

Another statement issued at the time of Hameed’s detention claimed that “multiple instances of violation of Pakistan Army Act post retirement have also been established,” though no details were provided.

Subsequently, the ISPR revealed that Hameed was being investigated for alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023, riots, during which military buildings and monuments were attacked. “During the process, involvement of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retd) in events related to creating agitation and unrest, leading to multiple incidents, including, but not limited to May 9, 2023, for fomenting instability at the behest of and in collusion with vested political interests, is also being separately investigated,” the statement had said.

Reacting to Thursday’s sentencing, Senator Faisal Vawda said “it was only the beginning”, noting that charges connected to the May 9 riots remained pending. Speaking to Geo News, he expressed gratitude to Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for “removing the filth” from the institution, saying the action had created the “foundation for self-accountability”.

Hameed has long faced allegations of political interference, both before and after retirement. His prominence grew in 2017 when he acted as a guarantor for the Faizabad agreement, a contentious deal that ended a weeks-long sit-in by TLP protesters. During the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, he reportedly gained significant influence within the then–prime minister’s inner circle and was believed to have developed close ties with Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

In 2020, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had openly accused Hameed and the then-army chief, Gen Qamar Bajwa, of orchestrating his ouster. At a rally in Gujranwala, Nawaz directly addressed Hameed, saying: “Gen Faiz, this is done with your hands, and you need to answer.”

Although speculation persisted regarding Hameed’s sway over PTI’s political manoeuvres, no direct evidence ever emerged. In 2022, a viral video showed him at an event where a PTI leader praised him and urged him to enter politics. Hameed publicly dismissed the prospect, asserting: “I will not join politics after the two-year bar nor afterwards.”

Controversy deepened in March 2024 when his brother, Najaf Hameed, was arrested on bribery and corruption charges after a court rejected his bail plea. Anti-corruption officials detained him at the Rawalpindi court complex and placed him on a 14-day judicial remand. The case, filed by the Anti-Corruption Establishment in Chakwal, included accusations of bribery, misuse of authority and causing financial losses to the state. Many critics alleged he had amassed influence in the region during his brother’s tenure as ISI chief.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in a television interview after Hameed’s arrest last year, claimed the retired general remained “deeply involved” in political developments even after leaving service in November 2022. Discussing Hameed’s suspected role in the May 9 unrest, Asif had said the “evidence and circumstances” pointed to his participation, possibly as a “strategic adviser.” “He might have provided logistics and used his experience to guide actions aimed at causing greater damage,” he said, adding, “While I can’t say this with absolute certainty, the evidence and circumstances suggest his involvement.”

Although the ISPR has avoided naming any political party or leader, its repeated references to actions taken “at the behest of and in collusion with political elements” have widely been interpreted as alluding to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, the report said.

The military has not specified when the additional investigations mentioned in its statement will conclude, nor whether further charges will be brought against the former intelligence chief, the report added.