The Supreme Court of Pakistan declined the government’s fact-finding committee in the 2017 Faizabad sit-in case. Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan read out the order from the previous hearing, with Chief Justice Isa noting that the commission had already cleared everyone. The court, led by Chief Justice, resumed the hearing after receiving fresh replies from the government, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and the former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
In a surprising revelation on Tuesday, former PEMRA chief Absar Alam informed the court that he had been under pressure from the then ISI chief, General retired Faiz Hameed. The Chief Justice expressed the court’s desire to identify the individuals responsible for the Faizabad sit-in, expressing frustration that the decision had not been implemented in the four years since its issuance. He directed Attorney General Mansoor Usman to establish a new inquiry commission to ensure the implementation of the apex court’s verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case. The court rejected the government’s fact-finding committee formed to investigate the Faizabad sit-in.