ISLAMABAD – The investigation committee, established to examine the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protest held at Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad back in 2017, has cleared former intelligence chief Faiz Hameed on Monday.
On the 8th of November, 2017, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) organized a protest at Faizabad interchange, opposing the alterations in the Election Act 2017, which replaced the term “oath” with “declaration.”
In response to this event, former PEMRA chief Absar Alam stated in his submission to the Supreme Court that the then-ISI chief, Faiz Hameed, exerted pressure on the media regulatory authority during the Faizabad sit-in.
According to Absar Alam, former ISI Chief General Faiz Hameed attempted to force him into taking actions against journalist Najam Sethi and banning Husain Haqqani, the former US ambassador.
However, these demands were not fulfilled. Consequently, the federal government established an inquiry commission, led by retired Inspector General Akhtar Ali Shah, as a reaction to the Supreme Court’s refusal of the Fact-Finding Committee’s report.
In its recently released 149-page report, the inquiry commission has exonerated the former spy chief. According to the report, both the DG ISI and the Army Chief had granted approval for the agreement involving Faiz Hameed.
Furthermore, the report mentioned that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal were also informed and involved in the decision-making process for the agreement.
The Faizabad Sit-In Inquiry Commission was formed following Supreme Court instructions. This commission investigated the factors surrounding the Faizabad Sit-In and offered suggestions. The report highlighted that decision-makers should gain insights from the Faizabad Sit-In, as such events are often driven by shortcomings in government policies.
The Punjab administration permitted the TLP rally to proceed towards Islamabad rather than halting it in Lahore, according to the report. It mentioned that due to insufficient communication among the police forces of the twin cities, several casualties occurred.
Furthermore, the federal government collaborated with the ISI to negotiate with the TLP leadership. Following a deal facilitated by the intelligence agency, the protesters dispersed on November 25, 2017.
Faizabad sit-in
On November 8th, 2017, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) arranged a demonstration at Faizabad interchange, opposing the modifications in the Election Bill 2017, which replaced the term “oath” with “declaration.” The protesters called for the resignation of Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid to uphold the nation’s integrity.
Following the protest, the PML-N government, led by then, had to dismiss its Law Minister Zahid Hamid. On November 21, 2017, the Supreme Court initiated a suo motu investigation into the sit-in situation. Later, a bench headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa announced their judgment on February 6, 2019, regarding the sit-in case, where they scrutinized the involvement of intelligence agencies in the entire affair.
Shortly after taking office as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) in September, Justice Isa began hearing petitions submitted against the Supreme Court’s February 2019 decision. On November 1st, the judicial panel dismissed the government-appointed fact-finding committee and instructed the formation of a new commission to reveal the individual responsible for orchestrating the protest gathering.
