World News | Punjab's Former Top Prison Official Arrested for Alleged Links with Ex-ISI Chief Hameed

Lahore, Aug 16 (PTI) Law enforcement agencies on Friday arrested former Inspector General of Prisons of Punjab province Shahid Saleem Baig for his alleged links with former ISI chief retired Gen Faiz Hameed, who is facing court-martial proceedings in a housing scam.

Baig served as IG Prisons Punjab for five years and retired before Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was jailed over a year ago.

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Baig has reportedly been arrested from his Lahore's Shadman residence. “Officials of an intelligence agency raided the residence of Baig and took him into custody in connection with his links with Gen Faiz,” an official said.

The intelligence agencies have already taken former Deputy Superintendent of Adiala Jail, Muhammad Akram, and Superintendent of the Rawalpindi DIG Jail office Nazim Ali Shah into custody on the charges of facilitating former premier Khan in prison.

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Several retired officers have been detained in connection with Hameed's trial for his post-retirement actions that violated the Army Act and on the complaint of the owner of a housing society in Islamabad.

Hameed was arrested on August 8 after being summoned to Rawalpindi by a senior army officer with his detention being publicly confirmed on the following Monday. His trial is being described as one of the most high-profile court martials in the history of the Pakistan Army.

Retired Brig Ghaffar, a former deputy director general for projects at ISI, retired Brig Naeem Fakhar, a former officer commanding, and retired Col Asim (of ISI) have also been taken into custody.

Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said more arrests would be made in connection with the court martial of Hameed in days to come.

Hameed is considered very close to Khan. He is also accused of facilitating Khan in jail besides facing charges of destabilising the country by using Khan's PTI party.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)