ISLAMABAD: The commission constituted to probe the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP)’s sit-in staged at Faizabad in 2017 has summoned Fawad Hassan Fawad, former principal secretary to the prime minister, on December 5.

Official sources told Dawn that Mr Fawad, currently caretaker privatisation minister, was one of the participants of a meeting chaired by the then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that decided to hold talks with the TLP. At that time, he enjoyed all powers and the whole bureaucracy was at his beck and call, they added.

The commission headed by Dr Syed Akhtar Ali Shah will inquire about the participants of the meeting and the discussion that took place.

Mr Abbasi and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal appeared before the commission on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. They were inquired about their’s and their offices’ role in the negotiations with the TLP and the decisions made at that time.

The commission has so far recorded the statements of then officials in the interior ministry who were dealing with the affairs of the Islamabad capital territory, former CPO Rawalpindi Israr Abbasi, former commissioner Rawalpindi, currently chief Secretary KP Nadeem Aslam, and former IGP Islamabad Dr Sultan Azam Temuri.

Meanwhile, caretaker interior minister Sarfraz Bugti said summoning former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Gen Faiz Hameed for investigation will not be beneficial for the country.

Replying to a question during an interview with Dawn News, the caretaker minister said the commission had been formed so it was not appropriate to comment on it. In his opinion, moving forward has always been beneficial for the country. When asked if he would facilitate the commission in summoning the former army officials, he replied “why would they ask us to facilitate? If they (Faiz and Bajwa) are called they would appear before the commission themselves, they are citizens of Pakistan.”

But will it be beneficial for Pakistan or not is a big question, the minister said, adding in his opinion this would not be beneficial for the country.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2023