Supreme Court grants one-month extension to Faizabad Inquiry Commission

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted one-month extension to Faizabad Inquiry Commission, set up for the execution of apex court’s 2019 verdict regarding the sit-in protest, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Accepting the miscellaneous application in Faizabad sit-in review case, the three-judge Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa, approved the one-month extension to the inquiry commission on Monday.

The attorney general for Pakistan informed the apex court bench that the government has expanded the terms of reference (TORs) of the inquiry commission.

The Supreme Court now sought a report from the inquiry commission within a month.

Initially expected to submit its report in the third week of January, the inquiry commission sought an additional month to complete its probe into the 2017 Faizabad Interchange sit-in in Islamabad.

Formally requesting the extension, the federal government aimed to identify those involved in planning, financing, and supporting the sit-in.

The three-member bench of the apex court was headed by CJP Isa and comprised of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Halali.

The commission had already summoned key figures such as former ISI director-general Lt-General (retd) Faiz Hameed, former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Shehbaz Sharif.

On January 5, Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed, in response to the inquiry commission, submitted a written response.

The Faizabad commission was established by the federal government, led by retired IGP Akhtar Ali Shah, following the Supreme Court’s rejection of the Fact-Finding Committee report. Constituted under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act, 2017, the commission includes Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, Tahir Alam Khan, and Khushal Khan.

The Faizabad sit-in, organized by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on November 8, 2017, had protested amendments in the Election Bill 2017. The demonstrators had called for the resignation of Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid. The subsequent fallout led to the dismissal of Zahid Hamid by the then PML-N government. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the sit-in on November 21, 2017.

In its February 6, 2019 verdict, a division bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa had criticized the role of intelligence agencies in the saga. Chief Justice Isa, after assuming office in September, revisited the case and on November 1, rejected the fact-finding committee report, instructing the government to form a commission of inquiry to uncover the mastermind behind the sit-in.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori