ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday allowed a petition seeking the release of an inquiry report prepared by the defence ministry over the use of the chief of army staff’s (COAS) name in the agreement between the participants of the Faizabad sit-in and the federal government.

IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui accepted the petition filed by retired Lt Col Inamur Rahim that requested the court to make the said report public.

Justice Siddiqui had also ordered that the report be sealed when it was first submitted.

During the course of the hearing, the petitioner argued that the Lahore High Court had made the report regarding the Model Town incident public and that the Faizabad sit-in report may also be released to the petitioners and aggrieved persons.

The court had sought a report from the defence ministry since it also thanked the COAS for playing a role in the settlement between the protesters and the government, which led to the resignation of law minister Zahid Hamid.

The petitioner requested the court to provide a copy of the report as he was party to the case and also because the report is “a public document”.

The defence secretary had submitted the report after the court’s repeated orders on Nov 11, 24, 27 and Dec 1, 2018, directing him to submit it.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2018