ISLAMABAD: The Intelligence Bureau (IB) formally requested the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday to withdraw its review appeal against the judgement delivered in the Faizabad Dharna case more than four years ago.
Two days before to the review petitions being heard by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, the withdrawal application was submitted.
On February 6, 2019, at least eight applications for reconsideration of the Faizabad Dharna case verdict were submitted.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) were among the political organisations and organisations that signed the petition.
During the terms of the previous three chief justices—Asif Saeed Khosa, Gulzar Ahmed, and Umar Ata Bandial—the review petitions were not heard. However, the case has been scheduled to be heard on Thursday (tomorrow) by Chief Justice Isa, who has been in office for only ten days.
After deciding not to continue with the bureau’s civil review petition, IB Director General Fuad Asadullah Khan requested its withdrawal through the agency’s Deputy Director Amjad Iqbal.
Petitioner “intends to withdraw the above titled Civil Review Petition and does not want to pursue the matter in the above titled case,” the IB pleaded. Therefore, “It is respectfully requested that this application be granted and the captioned Civil Review Petition be graciously allowed to be withdrawn.”
The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in at Faizabad in Islamabad in 2017 was resolved by a judgement from the Supreme Court. The scathing ruling, written by Justice Isa, warned the intelligence agencies not to go beyond their constitutional authority.
It had also ordered the federal government to keep an eye on and penalise anybody who advocated hatred, extremism, or terrorism. Several government agencies and other organisations in the public sector were also criticised.
As soon as the ruling came down, rumours began circulating that the PTI government will report Justice Isa to the president.
Justice Isa’s case, which involved an investigation into three UK homes held in the names of his wife and children, also made reference to the judgement.False Dharna of Faizabad
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After the word “oath” was changed to “declaration” in the Elections Bill 2017, the TLP began protesting on November 8 by setting up camp at the Faizabad Interchange. The demonstrators wanted former Justice Minister Zahid Hamid to go down.
On November 27th, 2017, Hamid resigned. Without resorting to violence, the demonstrations shut down both cities for 20 days. During that time, there were multiple failed attempts at bilateral talks between the government and protesters.
To remove the TLP demonstrators from the area, police used tear gas and water cannons on 25 November.
A scandal emerged later on as social media footage surfaced purporting to show a high-ranking military official giving money to and supporting the demonstrators.
The sit-in was the subject of a suo motu case filed by the Supreme Court on November 21. The decision was postponed by Justice Isa and Justice Mushir Alam on November 22, 2018.
The Supreme Court’s 43-page ruling, written by Justice Isa, was released on February 6, 2019.
