ISLAMABAD: The commission constituted to probe the TLP sit-in at Faizabad in 2017 has summoned ex-premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, Dawn has learnt.

According to official sources, Mr Ab­­basi has been summoned on Wednesday and the ex-interior minister on Thursday.

The former prime minister assured the commission of his appearance, while confirmation from Mr Iqbal is awaited.

The federal government on Nov 15 formed the commission and issued a notification, which was then submitted before a Supreme Court bench by the AGP.

Former police officers Akhtar Shah and Tahir Alam and additional secretary Khushal Khan are commission members.

According to the sources, Deputy Sec­r­e­tary Fayaz Khan is appointed secretary of the commission, which has an office in the interior ministry. It will probe various aspects of the sit-in, including the role of intelligence agencies’ officials.

The commission had already summo­ned former Punjab and Islamabad police chiefs Arif Nawaz and Sultan Azam Temuri, respectively, and former Rawal­pindi division commissioner Nadeem Aslam Chaudhary.

On Monday, former Rawalpindi police chief Israr Abbasi was grilled for hours by the commission about the sit-in’s facilitators and coordination between the police of twin cities during the protest.

It also recorded the statements of the interior ministry staff posted at the time of the protest. As per sources, letters have been sent to the authorities concerned to furnish related record.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023