Transcription
So, a 14-year sentence has been given. But now there is preparation for a new trial. The trial that is being prepared for now is perhaps this: the appointment of the new Army Chief. Mr. Faiz is already in military custody. So, will the founder of Tehreek-e-Insaf also be taken into military custody or not? Now, the first path available to him is that he will request the Army Chief that either the allegations leveled against me are false, or that the press release, its beginning is Mr. Faiz Hameed, his position, meaning he has been removed, meaning the position of Lieutenant General has been removed, so he can no longer write Lieutenant General R. Further investigation will be conducted to see if this convicted person, in collusion with some political elements, played a role in spreading chaos, anarchy, and disorder in the country. Or I wouldn't say it's big news, you could call it sensational news, that sir, now we know what the situation has become for Mr. Faiz. And sir, because of your experience, you must know how many years have passed and what hasn't been happening in this specific institution. Sir, for the first time, this precedent has been set. But do you see further difficulties for PTI in the future, or for this entire lobby, or do you think this is a good step? Using words like good or bad, I think we have become accustomed to it. Journalism has become too much about issuing fatwas. So, this talk of fatwas reminded me that I was thinking that if General Faiz is mentioned, the first picture that comes to mind is when the chaos was erupting as the Americans were leaving Afghanistan, and a large majority of Afghan youth were hanging onto planes, trying to escape. And Mr. Faiz, in Kabul, holding a cup of tea, was smiling and reassuring them that everything would be fine. Now, the interesting thing is that very few people know that there was nothing in that tea, nothing in that cup. It's a fact, it was just a prop. Very few people know this. But coincidentally, that cup of tea became so symbolic that later, what he was saying also proved to be wrong. Instead of everything becoming fine, he had made some arrangements during his tenure that those people who had gone there were brought and settled here. So, as soon as the Taliban consolidated there, those people started terrorism here, and it was understandable why misguided people wouldn't think that if Islam can come to Afghanistan, why can't it come to Iran, or rather, Pakistan? Because of this, Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have been continuously deteriorating. So, just two or three days ago, after a lot of tension, Torkham is closed, Chaman is closed. Trade on both sides is ruined due to the lack of mutual commerce. So, a conference of 1000 clerics was held in Afghanistan, in which they said that it would be against Islam if some groups, without the permission of the Amir, infiltrated Pakistan from Afghan soil and carried out sabotage. So, I think this is a welcome development that 1000 clerics are saying this, and hopefully, it should help the Taliban, saying that look, our clerics have said this, so those people, because the Taliban have so far claimed that these people have been helping us. So, how can we...? Secondly, they have also pledged allegiance to our Amir. Thirdly, this is Pashtunistan, they are refugees here. So, now they will have, we can say, not only moral and political but also a religious justification, that when the esteemed clerics are saying that you cannot carry out such sabotage in a neighboring country yourself, then let's see if the saboteur groups there will act upon it or not, and to what extent the Taliban government itself will. But if we assume that they were not ready, they probably wouldn't have allowed this conference to happen. So, perhaps they also needed it. So, let's hope for the best that the situation of this turmoil that has been going on for so long ends. Anyway, they are two neighboring countries, and between them, now this decision, what will happen 20 years from today, 25 years from today, 10 years from today, these are all distant matters. But sir, it becomes an example, doesn't it? That this happened before too. Examples like this, actually, the problem is that whatever happens in Pakistan, it is assumed that it is happening for the first time. Sir, I am sure this is not happening for the first time. Maybe the public is more aware of these things. Now, the point is that just four years after Pakistan was formed, a very famous Pindi Conspiracy Case happened, in which a very famous poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Major General Akbar Khan were involved. And at that time, naturally, Major General was a very big position because Pakistan had just been formed. Then, coincidentally, it was also Faiz. It wasn't him, it was General Akbar Khan. Mr. Faiz, he was in ISPR for some time as a Colonel. But he was there because a globally united front was formed against Hitler. That propaganda cell of the Indian propaganda brigade of that era. So, he was recruited as a Colonel in the ISPR of that time on an honorary basis. That's a different matter. But it became very famous in which it was said that Liaquat Ali Khan, a conspiracy against his government here, the situation is reversed. The situation is reversed. Yes. You can say that for the first time, a very powerful head of the institution known as Pakistan's ISI has been cornered. Sir, who is not the DG ISI by age. Secondly, this DG ISI, technically speaking, was not involved in any conspiracy against the Prime Minister of his time. Rather, if you look at that era, a very famous new word had entered our political lexicon, which was "same page." Same page. Yes. So, the problem arose here, that you were a professional man. So, if it was your policy to assist the government or whoever the Prime Minister was at that time, you continued to provide that professional assistance with great diligence. But at one stage, he deepened his connection with the Prime Minister of that time considerably. Family closeness developed. Meaning, it became more personal than professional, and ambitions also arose, as if he and the Prime Minister of that time together made some plan for the next 8-10 years, that both of them would be the powerful figures of this country. A plan was made for up to 2030, or whatever it was, that Mr. Faiz would remain the Army Chief, a powerful one, and Khan Sahib would remain the Prime Minister of the country. Well, that couldn't happen. But the real point, on which we should focus all our attention, is that the details of the sentence given to him, whoever is stating them now, is purely speculating. In the brief but comprehensive press release that came out yesterday, it was only stated that he had four charges. So far, those four, after a lengthy hearing in which many testimonies were given, all legal rights were provided to him, he was sentenced to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment. Now, the trial that took place, and in that trial, what were the charges, who gave testimonies, who gave defenses, who made allegations, and what were those allegations in concrete form, what happened on what date? For the acquisition of the case that was prepared, according to the law, now that Mr. Faiz has been given this 14-year sentence, the first path available to him is that he will request the Army Chief that either the allegations leveled against me are false, or he will say that this trial of mine was not fair, so please do me a favor and look into it in detail, and these are the flaws, and it should be overlooked, or you should forgive me, or you should review it again, whatever relief he seeks, meaning an appeal can be made. Mr. Faiz has this right. Yes. He will request first, and he will request the Army Chief. But before making that request, it is necessary that he has a certified copy of the decision against him. The process of providing that copy takes at least 90 to 120 days. So, you will have to see that these three or four months, the gentleman will be occupied with this. Okay, let's say the sentence has been given, 14 years. If he gets the copy after four months, then okay, some progress will be made, because no one is expecting it. But far more important than that, what you are talking about, 10 years from now, 15 years from now, is that in the last three lines of the press release issued by ISPR yesterday, it was stated that this convicted person, the word "conflict" was used. First of all, the press release begins with Mr. Faiz Hameed. His position, meaning he has been removed. Meaning the position of Lieutenant General has been removed. He was treated simply as Mr. Mr. Faiz Hameed. Right? Yes. So, he can no longer write Lieutenant General R with his name. Meaning his rank has been stripped. His rank has been taken away. Well, anyway, that's just the beginning. But the last three lines clearly indicate that these were the four charges that he listed earlier. Official Secrets Act. Misuse of his authority. Unnecessary use of state resources. But it is stated that there are still some other matters in which further investigation will be conducted to see if this convicted person, in collusion with some political elements, played a role in spreading chaos, anarchy, and disorder in the country. The political figures were mentioned, along with political people. So, this indicates that he has been given a 14-year sentence, but now there is preparation for a new trial. Now, when this is discussed, people's minds immediately go towards this. Yes, May 9th. May 9th, sir. Although, before May 9th, personally, personally, I don't have the details, and even the certified copy of the details for which the sentence has been given will only be available to those who have been sentenced, and even then, it will be their internal matter, they will request their Army Chief. Right? But what I suspect is that they are saying he was conspiring, and in collusion with political elements, for more chaos and political instability. I suspect that the new trial being prepared, or that will be prepared, is perhaps this: you remember that famous long march by Imran Khan Sahib, during which he was also attacked in Wazirabad, and he came to Pindi. Now, the timing of that long march was very close to the appointment of the new Army Chief. Yes, sir, I remember. So, I fear that in the talk of spreading chaos and disorder in collusion with political elements, perhaps Imran Khan Sahib will also be implicated, that the real purpose of his long march was to subvert this process, to interfere with the appointment of the new Army Chief by the Prime Minister. But sir, this will then become more roadblocks for Imran. Roadblocks? No, a complete deadlock. Now, if this is indeed going to happen, then the question arises: Mr. Faiz is already in military custody, so the investigation will be happening with him. So, will the founder of Tehreek-e-Insaf also be taken into military custody or not? If, according to my fears, the trial related to the long march is being prepared, and if such a thing is to happen, then are the existing laws, whether in the form of the Military Act or the Pakistan Penal Code, under which a convicted civilian like Imran Khan, who is in Adiala Jail, can be handed over to military custody? So, this will also be, I guess, a new thing, that you can take a civilian... I have told you before that Faiz Ahmed Faiz was also a civilian. Syed Sajjad Zaheer was the leader of the Communist Party at that time. He was also a civilian. So, civilians were involved. It's not that. During General Zia-ul-Haq's era, a case happened. In that, a very famous lawyer from Lahore, Raza Kazim Sahib, was arrested. The charge was that an attempt was being made to incite rebellion in the army, and weapons were recovered, and so on. So, civilians were also involved in that. So, in this way, I am just saying that provisionally, the point is that in the further investigations, everyone's mind is going towards May 9th. Because sir, you are saying that more than May 9th, I have a feeling that this time, the discussion will perhaps be more related to that long march that Imran Khan Sahib undertook very close to the appointment of the new Army Chief, and during which he was also attacked, the Wazirabad one. Now, there is also a lot of talk that perhaps that attack was also a conspiracy. But sir, it's the same point, isn't it, as I said in the intro, that then further difficulties will arise for Imran Khan Sahib and PTI. It's not that they are arising. After this sentence, one way is that okay, Mr. Faiz, Faiz, Faiz, Faiz, General Faiz Hameed has been sentenced, and the matter is over. No, sir, it's not that simple. When those last lines say that in collusion with other political elements, because of that, I have a feeling that perhaps things are heading in that direction. Let's see, I'm not sure, but as much as I connect the dots, things seem to be moving in that direction. But sir, as you said, which I just said, you must know that this is not the first time. There have been precedents before. It hasn't happened on this scale, and it hasn't been continuous. Meaning, the Pindi Conspiracy Case happened, it was just one case. But sir, don't you think this time, from within the establishment, for the first time, a head himself has done this? Someone in a position of power has held someone accountable within their own institution. Until now, perhaps these things didn't happen. Major General Akbar Khan was a serving general. What happened? So, on this scale, Major General Akbar Khan, at that time, Major General was a very big position. Pakistan had only been formed for four years. I am saying that after the ISI developed in this way, this is happening for the first time. Before this, a head of ISI had also faced some difficulties. Lieutenant General Asad Durrani Sahib, he wrote a book called "Spy Chronicle" with the wealth of India's intelligence agency RAW. So, an inquiry was conducted into him, and nothing came out, meaning nothing came out like he was conspiring with wealth. He defended himself, but he was summoned. But sir, this scale of DG ISI, or this nature, as you are saying, has not happened before, as has happened now. With Baba, Lieutenant General Asad Durrani also, my brother, was DG ISI and DGMI, but he was not sentenced. I am only talking about the sentence. The sentence has happened for the first time. We are saying this. That's a different matter. Otherwise, like in the days of General Bajwa, Javed Iqbal Sahib was given a sentence, which was later pardoned. So, yes, not only have allegations been made against the head of ISI, but after the allegations, the matter doesn't end with an inquiry, but a sentence has been given, and after the sentence, it is being said that this is just one chapter that has closed, and further investigation is still pending. And sir, as you are saying, it's not about May 9th, the long picture is still remaining, my friend, and because of that, my mind keeps going towards the fact that all these paths are perhaps leading towards a conspiracy with Imran Khan. The point is the same as we discussed earlier, that they are not allowing him to meet his sisters, and all that. Then the problems will be far behind. This will be a new thing. In the current situation, it will appear very trivial. If my fears are correct, let's see, we have to see what happens. Sir, like you said, there is still a picture remaining, meaning there is still a film remaining, and I am not saying this, ISPR's press release, its last three lines, are repeatedly saying that further investigation is still ongoing. They are saying that some economic matters need to be looked into further, and it is specifically mentioned that they were doing something in collusion with some political elements, left and right. Sir, these things will also become public, that political interference was done, and conspiracies were hatched under it. So, sir, this will of course become more controversial. I don't think this will be made public to this extent. It will take time. It will of course take time, sir. But it will take a long time for it to reach us. For example, we don't have the full details yet, that okay, such a long proceeding took place against Faiz Hameed Sahib, but what were the specific charges during that time, and how they were... those have not come out yet. We will see if they come out or not, I don't know when they will come. No, sir, but still, as you said, a sentence is still a big deal. It's a big deal, it's a big event in Pakistan's history. So, sir, we have witnessed it, but sir, the point is that there is still a long way to go. But, but you are saying that there are still remaining things that will not be made public. Yes, but sir, we can expect that perhaps after some time, something will be known, some news will come. Oh, my dear, then all the details will come out at some point. But provisionally, no such details will come out. Provisionally, for now, further arrests, further trials, and further developments will unfold in the coming days. Let's see, sir, again, not a very good note to conclude the program, but still, we can call this a development, can't we? Yes, the sentence given to Mr. Faiz.