Faizabad sit-in case: CJP Isa expresses dismay at fact-finding commission’s report

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa expressed his dissatisfaction with the report submitted by an inquiry commission formed to investigate the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakis­tan’s (TLP) 2017 Faizabad sit-in, remarking that the probe body was not even aware of its responsibility.

The top judge’s remarks come as a three-member Supreme Court bench took up a set of review petitions filed against the SC’s 2019 judgement in the Faizabad sit-in case.

The bench — headed by Justice Isa, and also including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan — presided over the hearing today, which was broadcast live on the Supreme Court website and YouTube channel.

Authored by Justice Isa in 2019, years before he took oath as the chief justice, the searing judgement had instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.

It had also directed the federal government to monitor those advocating hate, extremism and terrorism, and to prosecute them in accordance with the law.Adverse observations were also made against several government departments for causing inconvenience to the public as the 20-day sit-in paralysed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Pleas were subsequently moved against the verdict by the Ministry of Defence, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the PTI, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Mutta­hidaQaumi Movement (MQM), AML chief Sheikh Rashid and Ijazul Haq.

However, most of the petitioners withdrew their pleas, prompting the CJP to ask “why is everyone so afraid to speak the truth”.During a previous hearing, former Pemra chief Absar Alam had made revelations on the interference of intelligence agencies and “media coercion” during the Faizabad sit-in.

In a subsequent hearing, CJP Isa had linked violence in the country on May 9, when PTI chief Imran Khan was arrested, to the non-implementation of its 2019 judgment in the case.

In an order issued on the petitions in November, the SC had stated that it expects the government to finalise the fact-finding probe on the sit-in within the specified time frame. It had also granted ECP one month to prepare and submit a report on the TLP and its funding.