Asif Mahmood

The initial decision in the Faiz Hameed case is merely the opening verse. The concluding couplet has yet to be written. The opening bears the name of Faiz Hameed, but the final line may well carry the name of Imran Khan. Between these two points lies a process whose implications stretch across legal, domestic, and international spheres.
The legal dimension will become clearer once the full judgment is released and the appellate stages unfold. But the other two aspects are already evident, and their consequences are emerging in real time.
Domestically, the message is unmistakable. It can be summed up in one phrase: To Whom It May Concern.
Whoever you are and wherever you stand, know this: if the law can apply to someone of Faiz Hameed’s stature, then it can apply to anyone. If the Pakistan Army can place a former DG ISI before the law, then no one should expect special treatment. If anyone still seeks refuge in ambiguity, now is the time to clear it. The impact of this message will become increasingly visible in the days ahead.
Internationally and diplomatically, the message is equally clear. Pakistan is a nuclear power with a disciplined military institution where the chain of command functions with full authority. No office, no rank, no title is above institutional discipline. The world is being shown that the army remains strong, responsible, and firmly anchored in its command structure. There should be no confusion about Pakistan’s stability.
Though domestic consequences have dominated discussion, this external signal is no less important. A brief hint is enough for those who understand.
Internally, analysts are filling the space with ifs and buts. This is natural at the start of a process that has no precedent. In such early stages, hesitation exists. Expecting perfection at this point may not be realistic. As the process advances, these doubts may dissolve under consistent legal application. Societies evolve gradually, not in one dramatic leap. What critics demand instantly may ultimately arrive through an evolutionary path.
There is another dimension to this case, and it may prove the most consequential. In other words, the most sensitive phase is still pending.
This naturally raises a question: if political collusion is being examined independently, will the process stop at Faiz Hameed? It cannot. The language used clearly points toward the events of 9 May. And if the trail leads to 9 May, it will inevitably reach Imran Khan.

All indicators suggest that Imran Khan’s most difficult phase is approaching. While nothing definitive can be stated yet, one fact is indisputable: 9 May was not a political protest. It was far more serious. When the process reaches that point, new questions will arise and with them new consequences.
A challenging period is approaching for Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf. With prudence, this stage could have been avoided. Politics is the art of finding exits where none appear to exist. But PTI’s needless confrontational politics turned open avenues into dead ends. Those who warned were mocked, and those who offered advice were abused.The outcome now lies before us.

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