By Nazim Malik
Mystery shrouds circumstances leading to ‘fleeing’ of a close aide of former ISI chief Lt General (R) Faiz Hameed to London via Dubai to evade arrest.
Faiz Hameed has been in the army’s custody on corruption and other changes for the last couple of weeks
Mohsin Habib Warriach who said to have managed major business deals for Gen Hameed in Pakistan and abroad has reportedly fled to the UK ahead of the arrest of Faiz Hameed.
Gen Faiz is facing court-martial proceedings for misusing his position to extort money from a private housing society and his role in May 9 attacks on military installations and his close ties with jailed former prime minister Imran Khan is also being probed.
A number of military officers and some civilians have been taken into custody in connection with the alleged links with the spy master.
Imran Khan feared that Gen Hameed might be used against him as approver so that l his (Khan) trial can be held a military court.
Mohsin Warraich, son of former federal minister retired Maj Habibullah Warraich, was a central figure in multi-billion NICL corruption scam.
According to SAMAA TV, Warriach has been managing major business deals for Hameed since 2014. He was the front man of Hameed in securing business deals for the spy master.
“Faiz Hameed acquainted with Mohsin Wariach when he was a Brigadier attending the UK Royal Defence College for two years. They became buddies as Hameed’s father-in-law and Warriach’s father were batch mates in Kakul military academy.”
Gen Faiz Hameed led the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) during Imran Khan’s administration from 2019 to 2021 before taking early retirement in December 2022.
“Faiz Hameed was extremely powerful in the military’s intelligence wing after returning from London in late 2015 when he was made the DGC – the head of intelligence affairs inside Pakistan. He enjoyed huge powers and used these powers for “his personal benefits and those of his favoured people, particularly Warriach,” it says and further alleges Mohsin Warriach travelled the world on behalf of Faiz Hameed, acting as his de facto representative, negotiating and executing deals, often introducing himself as an arms dealer working for the Pakistan Army.
“Warriach visited Russia on at least one occasion on behalf of Hameed to secure a major arms deal. Hameed was, in fact, going above and beyond merely confirming Warriach’s role as an official representative of the Pakistan army,” it says.
The SAMAA further said: “Faiz’ Hameed’s support was not restricted to arms’ deals but was extended across the board. In a separate incident involving the anti-Covid Sputnik vaccine, Mohsin faced resistance from the official dealer for the Sputnik vaccine based in Dubai, who had the exclusive rights to sell the vaccine in Pakistan. Faiz intervened directly, telling the dealer that the only way the Sputnik vaccine would be allowed to be sold in Pakistan would be through Mohsin.
This compelled the dealer to reluctantly negotiate with Mohsin, who later secured a multimillion-dollar sale to the Pakistan Army – a deal that has now become a focal point in the investigation against Faiz due to suspicions of massive commissions being earned. By far the biggest and most lucrative transaction Mohsin executed following this was a sale of the vaccine amounting to millions of dollars to the Pakistan Army. This was perhaps one of the biggest breaks for both Faiz and Mohsin.”
“During Imran Khan’s government, while Faiz wielded significant power, it was Mohsin who orchestrated their business dealings. However, Mohsin’s domain was not restricted to commercial transactions. Official sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have confirmed that Mohsin had senior officials within the intelligence agencies directly call sitting high court judges in order to pressurise them into giving favourable decisions.”
It further alleged that Mohsin Wariach was also the mastermind of a political move that if had been successful would have given the duo a license to run the country’s most populous and richest Punjab province. Several senior PTI leaders have confirmed that General Faiz lobbied to make Mohsin’s father-in-law – Mohammad Nasir Khan, who served as the federal health minister between 2002-2007 – as Punjab’s interim chief minister.
It has to be seen whether the Shehbaz government goes for Mohsin’s extradition or not. PAK DESTINY
