CJP ‘disappointed’ at Faizabad Commission inquiry report

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday expressed his “disappointment” with the report submitted by an inquiry commission formed to investigate the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakis­tan’s (TLP) 2017 Faizabad sit-in

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Monday censured a “very disappointing” Faizabad sit-in inquiry commission report, saying that he was “surprised” after reading the document adding that the pobe body was not even aware of its responsibility.

The top judge’s remarks come as a three-member Supreme Court bench took up a set of review petitions filed against the SC’s 2019 judgement in the Faizabad sit-in case.

The bench, headed by Justice Isa, and also including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Naeem Akhtar Awan, presided over the hearing today, which was broadcast live on the Supreme Court website and YouTube channel.

As the hearing began, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan read the inquiry commission’s report.

“What did the commission do? It just wasted time. The commission is just making speeches,” said CJP Isa during the hearing. 

“I am surprised to read the report, they should have constructed the sentence correctly as to who had committed the violation,” said the CJP, adding that the report “doesn’t seem to be serious”.

The CJP said that the commission did not provide any “finding”, questioning the commission’s input. “Had the verdict been implemented in the Faizabad sit-in case, the May 9 incident would not have taken place,” he observed.

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CJP Isa asked the AGP if anyone belonging to the Tehreek-e-Laibbaik Pakistan (TLP) was summoned. At this, the AGP replied in the negative.

“The TLP people might have helped if they were summoned. They were a party in this case and their point of view was important,” said the chief justice.

Expressing his anger over the report, the CJP said that the commission just submitted the report with idioms in it.

He questioned how many times ex-spymaster Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was referred to. “It seems that all this was done just to exonerate General Faiz,” he observed.

The CJP asked how many times Gen (retd) Faiz was summoned, to which, the AGP said “once”.

AGP Awan said that they had sent a questionnaire to Gen (retd) Faiz and he had sent his answers.

At this point, the CJP said: “Army is a part of this government. How did it become sacred?” 

The Faizabad sit-in commission, which was constituted on Supreme Court orders following the case pertaining to the 2017 sit-in at Faizabad led by former Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi, gave a clean chit to the former spymaster and former Punjab Rangers director general Major General (retd) Azhar Naveed Hayat.

The commission was led by Dr Akhtar Ali Shah, a former officer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, and included senior PAS official Khushhal Khan and former inspector general Tahir Alam.

The probe body was tasked with identifying the perpetrators who facilitated the sit-in. However, it simply suggested taking legal action against the individuals in light of the federal government and Punjab’s findings.