According to the state broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, talking to media persons in Sialkot, the minister said, “People hiding in different sectors involved in anti-state acts should be held accountable for their crimes”.
Referring to legal proceedings against security officials, he added, “The military institution, in a transparent trial, punished the former Director General ISI, and there are still more legal proceedings to be initiated against Faiz Hameed”.
Highlighting the severity of recent incidents, the minister said, “The incidents witnessed over the past few days have no precedent in Pakistan’s history.”
He also addressed the removal of former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, claiming it was based on fabricated allegations. “Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was removed from office based on fabricated allegations under a conspiracy,” Asif said.
He accused Hameed of political bias, stating, “Faiz Hameed misused his position to protect the interests of PTI and he also hatched the conspiracy of May 9 events”.
Read: Ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by military court
Hameed was sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment by a Field General Court Martial on December 11, 2025, after being found guilty on multiple charges, including misuse of authority, engaging in political activities, violating state secrecy laws, and causing wrongful loss to individuals, ISPR reported.
The proceedings, initiated on August 12, 2024, lasted 15 months under the Pakistan Army Act. Hameed was given full legal rights, including a defense team of his choice, and retains the right to appeal.
Asif reacted to the verdict, saying, “The nation will, for years to come, reap the harvest of the seeds sown by former Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed and former Army Chief General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.”
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also welcomed the verdict, noting that Hameed had “crossed the red line” by misusing his authority, acting as a political adviser to PTI, and that further investigations into related political matters would continue. The Top City case, among others, formed the basis for Hameed’s conviction.
Senator Faisal Vawda said the 14-year sentence was only the beginning of a broader accountability process, asserting that no general, judge, or political leader is above the law, and further trials, including those linked to May 9 unrest, will continue.
Asif further held Hameed responsible for Nawaz Sharif’s ouster in 2017. “The removal of Nawaz, the cases lodged against him, the allegations, and Imran’s coming into power, this whole project was enacted under the supervision of Faiz Hameed,” he said.
Read More: The fallen general
He added that Hameed, along with his “partner” Imran Khan, was responsible for causing “significant damage” to the country and was “in charge of project Imran”, particularly during the 2018 general elections.
The minister claimed that during PTI’s tenure, Hameed facilitated the imprisonment and intimidation of political opponents, asserting that Imran’s “vision” was materialised through Hameed. “His main beneficiary was Imran,” Asif said.
Calling this period a “shameful” chapter, he alleged that Hameed orchestrated the May 9, 2023, riots in coordination with PTI workers, describing it as an “attack” on the sanctity of the armed forces.
He warned that conspirators attempting to prop up Imran today had their roots in the Faiz-Hameed nexus, stressing, “These two personalities cannot be separated.”
Asif vowed to continue the “process” of accountability, saying, “Those who have put the country’s future at stake for power cannot be considered Pakistanis. Whether they are in uniform like Faiz or in a waistcoat and Peshawari sandals like Imran”.