Pakistan’s Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa Thursday said if his verdict against a radical Islamist group and others for involvement in the Faizabad sit-in was implemented, the serious incidents could have been prevented, as he adjourned the hearing on a set of pleas challenging the judgment in the case till November 1.
A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Isa and comprising Justices Aminuddin Khan and Athar Minallah was hearing a set of pleas challenging the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case, wherein intelligence agencies were directed not to exceed their constitutional mandates.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and others had heavily criticized the judgment and subsequently review pleas were filed against the verdict by the PTI, the Ministry of Defence, the Intelligence Bureau, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement party, ex-interior minister Sheikh Rashid and Ijazul Haq, son of former military dictator Zia-ul Haq.
Isa, who was a member of the three-member bench that issued the 2019 verdict, expressed annoyance after multiple petitioners seeking a review of the apex court’s 2019 verdict against the Faizabad sit-in decided to withdraw their pleas.
The chief justice observed that the challengers in their pleas had stated that the verdict was full of flaws, wondering why they were withdrawing pleas, and asked “why is everyone so afraid to speak the truth”.
Attorney-General Mansoor Usman Awan, who was representing the federal government, assured the court that the decisions of the Faizabad judgement would be implemented but the chief justice was not amused.
“If this verdict was implemented at that time, then serious incidents would not have taken place later,” the chief justice said, in an apparent reference to the Jaranwala incident where a mob of radical Islamists vandalised 22 churches and set scores of Christian houses on fire over allegations of blasphemy. There were no casualties but it was one of the most destructive attacks on Christians in the Muslim-majority country.
Apparently, unable to satisfy the queries by the bench, Sheikh Rashid’s counsel urged the court to adjourn the hearing, which was accepted and the case adjourned till November 1. However, the court directed the respondents’ counsels to submit a written response by October 27.
The original judgement was authored by Justice Isa, instructing the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath. It had also directed the federal government to monitor those advocating hate, extremism and terrorism and prosecute them in accordance with the law.
The TLP sit-it went for about 20 days and had paralysed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The government and the powerful establishment were so angry due to the decision that a case of alleged corruption was launched against Justice Isa and effort were made to remove him from office.
