Faizabad dharna commission: Shehbaz Sharif's statement revealed

PESHAWAR: Former chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif has denied receiving any intelligence report regarding the ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) when he was in power.

In his statement to the probe commission, then CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif said that Faizabad sit-in was not expected at that time.

He mentioned that instructions were given to local authorities in Rawalpindi, including the deputy commissioner, commissioner, city police officer, and regional police officer, by the sub-committee on peace and security to provide all possible support to the Islamabad administration.

As part of the agreement, cases against TLP leaders and activists were planned to be withdrawn after due process of law, he informed the probe committee.

“It was agreed in the agreement between the TLP and the federal government that the cases against TLP leaders and workers will be withdrawn after legal procedures,” said the ex-CM.

Faizabad commission report

The commission in its report said that the common perception was that the sit-in was aimed at destabilising then federal government.

However, then-prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, then-Punjab chief minister – incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif maintained opposite views regarding a conspiracy against the government, the report revealed.

Zahid Hamid, who was serving as law minister in 2017 and then director general of IB Aftab Sultan had also similar views, it added.

The commission also sent a questionnaire to former ISI chief Faiz Hameed. When asked if a state institution was involved in helping stage the Faizabad sit-in, he said that there was no evidence of institutions’ role in the sit-in.

Meanwhile, the report stated that the inquiry commission faced challenges in obtaining records from the relevant departments regarding the sit-in.

Read more: Faizabad commission gives ‘clean chit’ to Faiz Hameed

The Faizabad commission also faced administrative issues including funds and acquiring office premises.

The report revealed that the Home Ministry secretaries were continuously resorting to delaying tactics to provide records.

The commission had sought records from the Home Ministry and the then inspector general (IG) of Punjab, however, it received the records from the Information Ministry and IB.

Citing the obtained records, the Faizabad commission said that a high-level meeting was presided over by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in November 2017.

During the meeting, it was decided to resume talks with the protesters, the report said, adding that General retired Faiz Hameed, with cooperation from the Home Ministry, was made responsible to hold talks with the protesters.

The then director general of Rangers was given overall command of the matters related to the sit-in, the report noted.

Ex-ISI chief given clean chit 

The inquiry commission, constituted to investigate the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in staged at Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad in 2017, gave clean chit to former spy chief Faiz Hameed.

Ex-PEMRA chief Absar Alam – in response submitted to Supreme Court – said that former ISI chief Faiz Hameed pressurized the media regulatory authority during Faizabad sit-in.

Absar Alam stated that Ex-ISI chief General retired Faiz Hameed pressurized him to take action against senior journalist Najam Sethi and ban the former US ambassador Husain Haqqani however his demands were not met.

The commission maintained that the then DG ISI and Army Chief had given permission to Faiz Hameed for the agreement. The report added that then Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal were also taken on board for the agreement.

The sit-in

On November 8, 2017, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) organised a sit-in at Faizabad against the amendments in the Election Bill 2017, changing the word oath to declaration.

The protesters demanded the resignation of the then-Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid to “protect the identity of the country”.

As a result of the protest, the then PML-N government had to sack its law minister Zahid Hamid. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the sit-in on November 21, 2017.