Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq told The Express Tribune that the appeal was filed with the army chief two days ago, while a separate application has been submitted to the Court of Appeal’s registrar at GHQ seeking a copy of the written decision.
“The appeal has already been filed,” Ashfaq said, without disclosing the specific grounds raised in the challenge.
According to the military, Hameed was found guilty on December 11 by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) on four counts — engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act “in a manner detrimental to the safety and interest of the state”, misuse of authority and government resources, and causing wrongful loss to individuals.
He remains confined at Special Prison Rawalpindi and has not been shifted to Adiala Jail, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Under Section 133-B of the Pakistan Army Act, an accused has 40 days from conviction to file an appeal. Hameed’s challenge will be heard by a Court of Appeals headed by a major general or a senior officer nominated by the army chief, who may uphold, modify or set aside the sentence.
Hameed’s prosecution stems from a 2017 complaint filed by property developer Kanwar Moeez Khan. Khan claimed that Hameed, then serving as a major general in ISI, along with two other officers, raided his residence and business premises, confiscated valuables, and forced him to pay Rs40 million while also funding a private television channel.
The matter resurfaced in 2023 after the Supreme Court directed Khan to approach the defence ministry, which subsequently initiated a military inquiry. A Court of Inquiry constituted in April 2024 found sufficient grounds to proceed, leading to Hameed’s arrest on August 12 that year.
According to the military’s media wing, FGCM proceedings commenced on August 12, 2024, and continued for around 15 months before the verdict was announced.
After what the Inter-Services Public Relations described as “lengthy and laborious legal proceedings”, the court found him guilty on all counts. The sentence was put into effect on December 11, 2025.
The ISPR further said that Hameed’s “involvement in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cohorts with political elements and in certain other matters” is being dealt with separately.
Hameed, who retired from military in November 2022, became the first former ISI director general and only the second three-star general in Pakistan's history to be tried by a military court and sentenced to imprisonment.
The probe eventually encompassed several other retired military personnel, including retired Brig Ghaffar, retired Brig Naeem Fakhar and retired Col Asim. However, the court's decision did not clarify their legal status or any findings against them.
In an unprecedented conviction, a decorated three-star general and former ISI chief was sentenced to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment under the Army Act. He was found guilty on all four counts, after standing a trial for more than a year with full recourse to his chosen defence. The Army, as an institution, has come a long way in ensuring that accountability remains a cornerstone of its discipline, and has redeemed its image at a time when smear campaigns are being launched to undermine its professional veracity. The Court Martial of former spymaster Faiz Hameed, for many, is "just the beginning" as the army goes on to cleanse the Augean stables of men who overstep their authority and bring a bad name to the fifth powerful military in the world.
Gen Faiz was charged with engaging in political activities; violating the Official Secret Act; misusing his authority and government resources; and causing wrongful loss to persons. He was squarely found to be on the wrong side of the divide after a meticulous and judicious trial. The statement from the military spokesperson, however, made a special reference by saying that the "involvement of [the] convict in fomenting vested political agitation and instability in cohorts with political elements, and in certain other matters, is separately being dealt with". This is where the plot thickens, and pundits are of the view that many more uniformed and civilian heads could roll.
The fallen general, however, has a right to appeal, and this is where the fairness of the trial process shall be known to the masses. One of the most annoying charges, nonetheless, against the officer — who once held the pinnacle of power — was meddling with a private real estate society for wrongful monetary gains. The fact that he was prosecuted and sentenced, accordingly, is a tribute indeed to the process of stipulated rules and regulations and self-accountability, and certainly deserves laurels. This will certainly serve as a deterrent for future adventurists and has sent shivers down the spines of all those in the woods.
The high-profile trial and sentencing will go a long way in dispelling the alleged conjunction between civil and military establishments, and must uphold the neutrality of armed forces personnel. The cleansing process should continue unabated and encompass all those on whom a finger has been pointed in yesteryears. This is where the responsibility rests with the political cadres, civil society and intelligentsia to compartmentalise organograms, and be categorical on gray areas in socialising and interactions.
A struggling democratic process direly needs to see to it that the principle of separation of powers among the organs of the state, as enshrined in the Constitution, is followed in letter and spirit. The armed forces and their leadership's role in being apolitical is at the crux, and this court martial has taken a leap forward in differentiating the wheat from the chaff. Faiz certainly has a tale to tell as he is blamed for influencing the judiciary and being in cahoots with politicians. Let the appellate hear him out and bring the co-accused too in the dock.