The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday dismissed the government’s fact-finding committee, instructing the Attorney-General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, to swiftly establish a new inquiry commission to oversee the implementation of the apex court’s verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case.
The committee, formed on Friday by the government, aimed to investigate the role of all concerned officials during the 2017 sit-in. During today’s hearing, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa emphasized the need to identify the mastermind behind the Faizabad sit-in.
“We want to know who was the mastermind,” he remarked, expressing frustration over the delayed implementation of the decision issued on February 6, 2019.
The three-member bench, led by CJP Isa and including Justice Aminuddin and Justice Athar Minallah, questioned the government’s efforts toward the case’s implementation.
CJP Isa, disapproving of the government’s fact-finding committee, implied a lack of seriousness and accountability, warning that the court would close the case if asked.
Referring to Tahirul Qadri’s involvement in the 2014 sit-in, CJP Isa questioned the motives behind such actions and the role of the concerned authorities at that time. He further criticized the lack of independence of institutions during that period, summoning Pemra Chairman Salim Baig to the court immediately.
Expressing discontent over the withdrawal of several revision petitions, CJP Isa questioned the seriousness behind such actions, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation.
While Justice Minallah described the Faizabad sit-in case as a landmark decision, CJP Isa maintained that the decision was in line with the law and Constitution.
