ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa made remarks during a hearing on the Faizabad sit-in, expressing the court’s interest in identifying the mastermind behind the sit-in.
The Supreme Court’s three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justices Athar Minallah and Aminuddin Khan, resumed the hearing on the Faizabad sit-in case after receiving fresh responses from the government, the Election Commission of Pakistan, and a former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
The bench rejected the fact-finding committee established by the government to investigate the Faizabad sit-in and recommended the formation of an inquiry commission for the issue.
During the hearing, Justice Qazi Faez Isa noted that the terms of reference for the committee had already cleared everyone, and thus, the court suggested the establishment of an inquiry commission.
Several review petitions have been filed against the 2019 verdict by various parties, including PTI, the Intelligence Bureau, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, MQM, former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, and the Election Commission, among others.
Notably, some petitioners sought to withdraw their petitions as the matter was scheduled for a hearing after Justice Isa became Chief Justice.
The federal government, in its response, informed the court that it established a fact-finding committee to investigate the sit-in and how it was managed. The committee’s terms of reference include collecting relevant documents, recording witness statements, and determining the roles of those involved in managing and handling the sit-in.
The Election Commission of Pakistan also submitted a response, absolving Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan of anti-state activities and financial wrongdoing.
On a related note, Absar Alam, who was the head of PEMRA during the sit-in, informed the court that he faced pressure from then-spymaster General Faiz Hameed and complained to the prime minister and the army chief at that time regarding the matter.
