ISLAMABAD: The fact-finding committee to supervise the enforcement of the directions from the four-year-old Faizabad Dharna judgment was dissolved by the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, placing the interim federal government in a dangerous situation.
The turn of events has spurred discussion and raised the question of whether the current system will accept the hand of justice from the highest court and uncover the truth. The widespread consensus is that this won’t happen because influential people won’t allow it to become a precedent that holds people accountable, even if the accused is a retired general.
The focal point of the six-hour hearing on Wednesday was retired General Faiz Hameed, who was also mentioned in the affidavit of former head of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Absar Alam, for interfering in the organization’s operations.
During the hearing, CJP Isa notably asked Saleem Baig, the current Chairman of PEMRA, several times who had given him the instruction to submit a review petition against the Faizabad protest verdict.
In the court decision, he stated that he expected a probe into the coincidence of review petitions submitted in the same matter by the government and other independent entities.
It is important to remember that CJP Isa has a unique case history in which the security apparatus at the time gave him a “tough time” following the verdict.
Isa stood alone and battled back with dignity, even if at first his fellow jurists were reluctant to support him during a trying period.
Ultimately, though, the vast majority of judges supported him and granted the review petitions challenging the decision of former CJP Umar Ata Bandial to forward his family’s property case to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
There has been no indication of “uneasiness” in the court proceedings concerning the implementation of the Faizabad Dharna ruling since the previous hearing. The bench has now, however, expressed disapproval of the fact-finding committee.
Given the current political climate, political observers think that the security establishment cannot afford to irritate CJP Isa.
In the meantime, PTI and Imran Khan’s spokesperson Shoaib Shaheen remain attentive to the developing court proceedings.
CJP Isa’s backing implies that he could have a resounding affirmation from the higher bars should a coercive order be issued in the Faizabad Dharna case ruling.
The focus now shifts to the PML-N, whose position on supporting the Supreme Court’s proceedings is still tantalizingly ambiguous.
It’s also important to note that CJP Isa has drawn criticism for his aggressive style of questioning government representatives and attorneys during the hearing. The chief justice has a difficult road ahead of her.
In order to avoid conflicts and still issue important verdicts in the upcoming year, he needs to carefully control his temperament.
Concerning the current proceeding’s fate following the withdrawal of review petitions, senior attorneys are similarly unsure.
