ISLAMABAD: In compliance with a directive from the Supreme Court, Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Hamooduz-Zaman Khan has sent letters to the heads of the army, air force, and navy, instructing them to review the involvement of their officers in the 2017 Faizabad sit-in organized by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The letters from Zaman to the service chiefs urge them to take action against officers who played a role in the 2017 protest and to submit written statements to the Faizabad inquiry commission, as per the sources.
The letters aim to ascertain the responsibility of officers providing support to TLP and examine various institutions’ roles in orchestrating the sit-in.
The inquiry commission, formed by the caretaker federal government in November last year, was established to implement the Supreme Court’s 2019 Faizabad verdict. Retired IGP Akhtar Ali Shah chairs the probe panel, created following the Supreme Court’s rejection of the government’s fact-finding committee report.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa emphasized the commission’s authority to summon individuals, including former army chiefs, prime ministers, and chief justices. The commission is expected to submit its report to the Supreme Court by January 22.
Recently, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed provided a statement to the Faizabad sit-in commission, refuting allegations of conspiring against the government.
Despite being summoned three times, he did not appear before the panel and instead responded to a questionnaire, stating that he negotiated with TLP on the government’s instructions. The commission summoned him on January 2, but he did not appear then.
