An inquiry commission cleared former spy chief Faiz Hameed of wrongdoing in the 2017 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in.
The 2017 sit-in at Faizabad Interchange protested changes to the Election Act. Ex-PEMRA chief Absar Alam claimed Faiz Hameed pressured him during the event. He alleged Hameed wanted action against journalist Najam Sethi and former US ambassador Husain Haqqani. His demands went unmet.
A commission, led by retired Inspector General Akhtar Ali Shah, was formed after the Supreme Court rejected an initial report. Released today, the 149-page report absolves Hameed. It notes approvals from then-DG ISI, the Army Chief, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.
The commission was established by the Supreme Court to study the Faizabad sit-in and recommend actions. It stressed that such incidents often stem from policy flaws. The report criticized Punjab’s failure to stop the TLP march at Lahore, noting poor police communication led to several casualties. It also confirmed that the ISI mediated an agreement that ended the protests on November 25, 2017.
The sit-in had initially demanded the resignation of Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid to “protect the country’s identity.” The government eventually conceded, resulting in Hamid’s dismissal. The Supreme Court took notice of the sit-in on November 21, 2017.
On February 6, 2019, a bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa criticized the intelligence agencies’ roles. After becoming Chief Justice of Pakistan in September, Justice Isa revisited the petitions against the 2019 verdict. On November 1, his bench dismissed the initial committee and mandated a new inquiry to identify the sit-in’s orchestrators.
