Govt also withdraws plea for Faizabad sit-in review case

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has filed an application in the Supreme Court to withdraw its plea against the Faizabad sit-in verdict, hours before the court hears the review petitions.

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan said that the federal government, which had filed the plea through the Ministry of Defence, has decided to withdraw its petition.

It may be mentioned that the top court’s bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising of and comprising of Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah will take up Faizabad sit-in review petitions today (Thursday) for hearing.

Earlier, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) filed a miscellaneous application to Supreme Court and requested permission to withdraw the review petition in the Faizabad sit-in case.

The authority had stated in its application that it didn’t want to pursue the review petition and requested the top court to allow it to withdraw the case.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) had also filed an identical application for withdrawal of the review petition asking the top court to revisit the 2019 verdict against the sit-in by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakis­tan (TLP) in Faizabad.

The IB’s review petition had urged the court to set aside the adverse observations made against the department, adding that it was a premier civilian intelligence agency responsible for state security. It contended that the impugned order created a “bad impression” on the public that the IB was involved in unlawful activities and politics, after transgressing constitutional boundaries.

It had said the observations made in the verdict were based on “vague facts” and that during the sit-in, the department was in close contact with the federal and Punjab governments and forewarned them about the plans and intentions of the TLP, with a view to foiling their attempt to storm the capital.

READ MORE: IB files plea in SC to withdraw review petition against Faizabad verdict

On February 6, 2019, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered action against extremist elements in the written verdict issued for the suo-moto case pertaining to the TLP’s sit-in in 2017.

The TLP held a week-long protest at Faizabad Interchange in November 2017 against a minor change in the oath lawmakers take. The court had taken suo motu notice soon after the protests.

The National Assembly had passed an amendment to the Finality of Prophethood (Khatm-e-Nabuwwat) oath for electoral candidates, drawing protests from religious groups in the country. The government had withdrawn the amendment that stoked controversy.

The verdict was coincidently authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP). The judgement instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalize personnel under their command 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. It also made adverse observations against several government departments for causing inconvenience to the public as the 20-day sit-in paralyzed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Pleas were subsequently moved against the verdict by the Ministry of Defence, the IB, the PTI, the Pemra, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Ejazul Haq.