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Timeline of Faiz Hameed’s arrest and trial

Former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hameed on Thursday was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment by a military court, the military’s media wing said in a statement. The court handed down the sentence following a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in which Hameed was found guilty on multiple charges, including engaging in political activities, violating anti-espionage laws, and abusing his authority, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). In November 2023 , the Supreme Court (SC) said that allegations of an “extremely serious nature” against the ex-spymaster “cannot be left unattended” as they would undermine the reputation of the country’s institutions if they were proven to be true. A series of investigations was thus initiated against him, following which he was taken into military custody in August 2024. Dawn.com takes a look at the major developments and milestones in the case against Hameed over the last year. August 12, 2024...
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Govt may ban ‘uncooperative’ social media platforms: state minister

The government may consider banning social media platforms if they do not cooperate with authorities, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said on Thursday. The social media platform X, which around 4.5 million people in Pakistan use, was blocked in February 2024, around 10 days after the general elections. Speaking on the Dawn News program “Doosra Rukh” in response to a question about a possible ban on former incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s X account, Barrister Malik said “investigations are ongoing”. He added that while the government has contacted X, the platform has shown the least cooperation compared to other social media networks. Criticising X, the minister said the platform should not operate with double standards. “Posts related to Palestine are removed, and accounts blocked, within 24 hours. Here, we are talking about a matter of terrorism,” he said. He further noted that the government has issued reminders to social media platforms and w...
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PTI-led KP headed toward governor’s rule, warns Bilawal

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that although there had been no discussion with the PML-N about imposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI-led government in the province was heading in a direction that could create conditions for such an option. The federal government is seriously considering imposing governor’s rule in KP, citing “security and governance issues” in the province as the reason for this potential move. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar earlier said “governor’s rule is not the face of any martial law” and added that if the conditions merit it, then it was within the Constitution to implement it. Bilawal was speaking to the media during a visit to the Rajoa House residence of Syed Hassan Murtaza, the PPP’s central Punjab general secretary, in Chiniot to offer condolences on the death of his father. He said the PTI’s politics was creating conditions for governor’s rule in KP. “The PTI is forcing the federal government to take strict act...
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Record-setting Hamza Asif, treble winner Faiqa Riaz steal National Games spotlight

At the 35th National Games, the story of sport has so often been of sheer will against long odds. But on Wednesday, the narrative splintered into two distinct, dazzling truths: one written in the chronometric perfection of chlorinated water, the other etched in the sun-baked sand of the long jump pit. In the pool, a digital clock froze at a number never before seen in Pakistan: 29.99 seconds. On the track, a measuring tape confirmed a distance of 5.52 metres, sealing a historic triple crown. The fourth day of the competitions belonged to 19-year-old swimmer Hamza Asif, who shattered a time barrier and a 26-year-old Olympian who shattered expectations, proving that national sporting history can be made in parallel universes. The sun played the role of spotlight over the swimming arena, its zenith aligning with the men’s 50m breaststroke final. The audience was on its feet, phone cameras held horizontally. In lane six was Rayan Awan, the national record holder in the event. The bu...
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US approves $686 million F-16 technology sale to Pakistan, highlighting interoperability and fleet modernisation

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, valued at $686 million, according to a letter the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent to Congress on December 8. The package includes Link–16 systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics updates, training, and comprehensive logistical support. The DSCA letter makes clear the rationale for the sale, stating that it “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.” The proposed sale is also aimed at modernising Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and addressing operational safety concerns. The letter notes that it will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block–52 and Mid Life Upgrade F–16 fleet.” These updates will ...
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Record-breaking Faryal Farooq sets alight National Games

The sun burned with a fierce, summer-like intensity on the winter morning but it couldn’t temper the spirit of the competitors gunning for glory at the National Games on Tuesday. The open field at the athletics venue hummed with simultaneous action — discus flying in one sector, hurdlers pacing in another. On the track, athletes bobbed and stretched, their shadows short under the midday blaze. In the stands, a scattered crowd fanned themselves, eyes darting between events. The pool offered some respite from the blazing sun as swimming began at the Games on a day headlined by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Inam Butt extending his remarkable legacy by clinching his 18th national title — the most by any wrestler — and a national record for discus thrower Faryal Farooq. Faryal’s feat was the culmination of a four-years effort; those long days of lonely training meeting minutes of razor-edged opportunity. Through her first four throws, she was nowhere near the mark. The record, it se...
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Emissions from transport, industry top urban polluters in Pakistan: report

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A new national assessment by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI) has found that local emission sources are the primary contributors to the hazardous air quality levels in Pakistan’s major cities. This emerged on Tuesday. The PAQI is an independent research and advocacy organisation committed to addressing air pollution in Pakistan. The report, Unveiling Pakistan’s Air Pollution: A National Landscape Report on Health Risks, Sources and Solutions , provides the country’s first multi-sectoral emissions inventories and concludes that urban smog is overwhelmingly generated within Pakistan’s own airsheds. “Toxic air pollution reduces the life expectancy of the average Pakistani by 3.9 years,” the report states. The report draws on satellite-derived aerosol datasets, chemical transport modelling and PAQI’s nationwide real-time monitoring network, the largest open-data air-quality system in Pakistan, to map the sources, scale, and health impacts of PM2.5 across the country’s largest...
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