ISLAMABAD: It appears that the dust of Faizabad sit-in has not settled as the Islamabad High Court on Friday summoned the secretaries of the defence and interior ministries as well as the director general of the Intelligence Bureau to know how the protesters occupied the main entrance to the federal capital and what led them to disperse from there.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC also directed the federal government to submit by Feb 9 the report of Raja Zafarul Haq-led committee that had investigated the change made in the Khatm-i-Nubuwat declaration.
The judge warned the federal secretaries that the court would initiate contempt of court proceedings against them if they failed to comply with its orders.
The court expressed annoyance over the lethargic attitude of the officials concerned and said that neither the report nor para-wise comments had been submitted in the case.
In a previous order, Justice Siddiqui had observed that “there is serious need for our sensitive institutions to dispel the impression that activity of Faizabad Interchange (dharna) is sponsored by the intelligence agencies”.
He said the twin-cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had remained paralysed because of the sit-in, adding that “this is not freedom of expression rather anti-state activity” and calling judges of the superior judiciary and others with names is “intolerable”.
The court will resume hearing on Feb 9.
Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2018
