Faizabad Sit In
An inquiry commission, tasked with investigating the 2017 Faizabad sit-in, has issued a summons to Shehbaz Sharif, the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former Prime Minister.
The commission, formed by the caretaker federal government, is investigating the protest staged by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) against the PML-N-led government in November 2017. The probe, ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, is led by retired IGP Akhtar Ali Shah, as the court rejected the government’s fact-finding committee report.
The commission, authorized to summon individuals, including former army chiefs and prime ministers, is set to receive Shehbaz Sharif’s statement on January 3. The inquiry aims to implement the Supreme Court’s 2019 Faizabad verdict and is mandated to submit its report by January 22.
Previously, key figures such as former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and ex-Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal appeared before the commission. Notably, former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General (retd) Faiz Hamid missed the hearings twice.
The Faizabad sit-in, initiated in November 2017 against changes in the finality-of-Prophethood oath, led to a suo motu notice by the Supreme Court. The sit-in concluded after an agreement was reached between protesters and the government. The 2019 Supreme Court verdict emphasized the right to peaceful assembly and protest within legal boundaries. The court also highlighted the need to prosecute those issuing edicts to harm others and urged intelligence agencies to adhere to their mandates.
