Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Wednesday expressed the hope that the newly formed fact-finding commission for the 2017 Faizabad sit-in would fix the responsibility by ensuring transparent inquiry.
CJP Isa alongside Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, presided over the proceedings of the Faizabad sit-in case.
The initial fact-finding commission of the government was rejected by the Supreme Court in the previous hearing of the case on November 1.
Attorney-General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, was subsequently tasked with forming a new inquiry commission, emphasizing the need for the implementation of the apex court’s verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case.
At the outset of hearing today, AGP Awan presented the court with a notification detailing the reconstitution of a three-member inquiry commission.
This commission, formed by the federal government, is chaired by former KP inspector-general of police Akhtar Ali Shah. The other members include ex-IG Tahir Alam and Interior Ministry Additional Secretary Khushal Khan.
The notification also outlined the commission’s terms of reference (TORs), indicating a two-month timeline for the submission of its report.
According to the notification, the inquiry commission’s scope extends to investigating the illegal financiers of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), the party at the center of the Faizabad sit-in. Additionally, it will recommend action against those who issued statements in support of the sit-in.
During the today’s hearing, CJP Isa conveyed his hope that the newly established commission would not only meet but exceed the nation’s expectations.
He candidly remarked, “The commission will either throw dust in [our] eyes, or it will write a new history; we hope the inquiry commission will conduct an independent and transparent investigation.”
The CJP later adjourned the hearing of the Faizabad sit-in review case until January 22, 2024, allowing time for the inquiry commission to carry out its mandate.
The legal saga surrounding the Faizabad sit-in traces back to April 15, 2019, when the then-federal government and various entities filed review pleas contesting the apex court’s judgment.
The court, led by CJP Isa and Justice Mushir Alam, took a firm stance, recommending stringent action against those issuing edicts or fatwas to harm others.
The suo moto case on the 2017 Faizabad sit-in, initially triggered by a change in the finality-of-Prophethood oath in the Elections Act 2017, was disposed of after an agreement was reached between the protesters and the government.
