Islamabad, Oct 27 (PTI) The Pakistan government has set up a three-member fact-finding commission, including a senior ISI official, to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s verdict on a massive sit-in here by a hardline religious group in 2017, it emerged on Friday.
The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) held the protest at Islamabad’s Faizabad interchange against the alleged changes in the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (finality of prophethood) oath for lawmakers by the government.
The government claimed the amendment to the oath was a “clerical error” and was subsequently rectified through an act of Parliament.
However, the 20-day sit-in by the group caused massive inconvenience to the public as it paralysed life in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Then Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is now the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in his 2019 verdict in the sit-in case had ordered, among other steps, to form a probe committee to know the real reason behind the protest.
The searing judgement had also instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.
It also directed the federal government to monitor those advocating hate, extremism and terrorism and prosecute them in accordance with the law.
The decision had upset the government and the powerful establishment and a case of corruption was filed against Isa in the Supreme Court, which after hearing rejected the charges.
Several review petitions, including by the Ministry of Defence, the Intelligence Bureau, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement party as well by former minister Sheikh Rashid and Ijazul Haq (who is the son of former dictator Ziaul Haq), were also filed against the original judgment.
The review petitions remained in the cold storage but Isa after becoming the chief justice decided to hear it.
He formed a three-member bench — including himself and fellow judges Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah — which on September 28 heard a set of review petitions challenging the apex court’s verdict.
Attorney-General Mansoor Usman Awan during Friday’s hearing informed the court in a three-page report that the government has formed a “special fact-finding committee” to ensure compliance with the top court’s verdict on the 2017 sit-in.
He said the three-member committee consisted of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director and additional secretaries from the ministries of defence and interior.
The committee will conduct an inquiry and determine accountability as outlined in the terms of reference (TORs).
The committee, which held its first meeting on October 26, is also tasked with submitting a comprehensive report, inclusive of recommendations.
“The committee shall furnish a fact-finding report to the Ministry of Defence by November 1. In the event, further time is required for furnishing the report, the committee will seek an extension from the Ministry of Defence,” the report added.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing till November 1 and directed the counsels of different petitioners to submit a written response by October 27.
Earlier, the chief justice while taking up the review petitions last month said if his judgment had been implemented, acts like the Jaranwala incident, involving Muslims attacking Christians, could have been avoided.
The incident was sparked in August by a rumour of blasphemy in Jaranwala town of Punjab province. PTI SH PY PY PY
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