ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday gave extension to the commission probing the 2017 Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in at Faizabad.

A three members’ bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa extended the deadline for the commission till Feb 14.

Earlier, the federal government had requested the SC to grant extension for another month for the submission of an inquiry report by the commission. The extension was sought to record the statement of few politicians and TLP’s leaders, compiling all the record and evidences and write the report, including recommendations.

The three-member commissioner headed by retired police officer Syed Akhtar Ali Shah was constituted under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 2017, to ensure compliance with the Feb 6, 2019, verdict against the 20 day sit-in.

After hearing, the SC granted a month extension in the deadline and adjourned the hearing till Feb 15.

Official sources told Dawn that former premier Shahbaz Sharif, who was the Punjab Chief Minister during the Faizabad sit-in in 2017, but he neither appeared before the commission nor submitted his written reply.

Earlier, the commission sent him a questioner on his request , they added.

The commission will summon him again, the sources said, adding that he is likely to inquire about the role of his office during the TLP’s long march towards Islamabad, and wjether they tried to intercept them or not.

Whether orders were issued from his office or not in this regared and if issued the orders were followed by the department concerns or not?

Former interior minister Rana Sanaullah has also not been appeared before the commission despite being summoned, the sources said, adding that Mr Sanaullah was heading a committee constituted by the government to negotiate with the TLP over the party’s march and sit-in at Faizabad.

The commission will also summon him again, they added.

Few leaders of the TLP were also selected for inquiry by the commission, and they will also be summoned, the sources said, adding that these leaders participated in the negotiation with the government at federal and provincial level.

Petitioners who submitted the petition against the apex court decision over the sit-in and later withdrew it are also yet to be grilled, the sources said, adding that earlier, a Term of Reference (ToR) was also included in the list of previous ToRs, and under it the commission also inquired the petitioners to ascertain the reason behind filing the petition and later withdrawing it.

All the relevant records related to the sit-in were also obtained from the department concerns, they said, adding that all the relevant and government officials and officers concerned who served during the sit-in had been grilled by the commission.

The sources further said the former officers told the commission during the investigation that the operation conducted against the TLP by the capital police and administration remained successful.

Besides, the former officers of the Punjab told the commission that the TLP march was not intercepted as the party’s leader during negotiation assured that they would return from Islamabad after recording their protest.

The questions asked by the commission were under the Terms of Reference (ToR) and directives of the Supreme Court, they said.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2024