ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday alleged that the removal of former spymaster Faiz Hameed from his post on the demand of former premier Nawaz Sharif resulted in the termination of planned talks with the Afghan government to tackle security issues.
Lt Gen (retd.) Hameed was removed as ISI chief in October 2021, resulting in differences between the then-prime minister Khan and the army that resulted in his ouster from power in April 2022. The former spy chief, who had been close to Khan, was arrested this month to face court-martial proceedings.
In his latest interaction with journalists in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, Khan talked about links between the removal of Hameed as ISI chief and the deterioration of ties with the Afghan government and the consequent spike in cross-border terrorist attacks.