Is The Reckoning Still Pending?

This verdict is not merely the punishment of an individual; it is a reminder of a sensitive and complex chapter in Pakistan’s military and political history. The sentencing of former DG ISI Lieutenant General (Retd) Faiz Hameed to fourteen years of rigorous imprisonment appears, on the surface, to be a purely legal proceeding, in which a military court fulfilled its role in accordance with evidence and due process. Yet, behind this decision, questions long suppressed in the national conscience have once again begun to surface.

Pakistan’s history bears witness to the fact that whenever power oversteps constitutional limits, its consequences are not confined to institutions alone; the entire society pays the price. Political engineering, covert interference, and the excessive use of authority have repeatedly weakened the democratic process, eroded public trust in institutions, and pushed the country into a vortex of instability. In this context, the case of Faiz Hameed is not merely about an individual or an office, but a reflection of a mindset in which state power has been employed to serve specific agendas rather than the national interest.

It is an established truth that the supremacy of law is the foundation of any civilized state. If today the law has taken its course and a military court has delivered its judgment, it is a positive development. It sends the message that accountability is not limited to civilian leadership alone and that those in uniform are not beyond its reach. However, the real question is whether we will be content by confining this decision to one individual, or whether we will also scrutinize the entire system that allowed such roles and practices to flourish.

The real reckoning is still pending. It is the reckoning that must determine what lessons were learned from past mistakes, how far institutional reforms have progressed, and what practical measures have been taken to ensure that the use of power in the future remains subject to the Constitution and the law. If this verdict remains merely symbolic and the old methods continue thereafter, history will not hesitate to repeat itself.

Another question emerges here: can this punishment cleanse the debris of that era in which the country’s politics, economy, and society were turned into an experimental laboratory? In particular, who will account for the losses of the eight years—from 2018 to 2023—that were effectively stolen from this nation? During those years, a political fabric was woven whose tangled threads still cling to us today. State boundaries were violated, political engineering reached its peak, artificial narratives were constructed, religious sentiments were exploited for political purposes, and a deep societal divide was created—one that remains difficult to bridge even now.

The flames of religious extremism that were fanned during that period not only polluted politics but shook the very foundations of society. A religious segment once known for moderation and tolerance was transformed into an emotionally charged pressure group. As a result of this shallow and reckless grooming, a murderous attack was carried out on then Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal. The same mental onslaught forced world-class technocrats to turn back and leave. This was not merely a political mistake; it was a national crime. These were decisions that pushed a nation’s future toward the abyss—choices made solely for short-term political gains.

For the nation, this is a moment of self-accountability. Individuals come and go, but the state and its institutions endure. The need of the hour is to prioritize principles over personalities, so that Pakistan may, in the future, write chapters not of instability, but of law, transparency, and democratic stability.