ISLAMABAD: The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has decided to withdraw its review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case, which was delivered by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, now the chief justice.
In a plea filed recently, IB’s Deputy Director Amjad Iqbal requested the withdrawal of the civil review petition and the acceptance of the miscellaneous application. The plea stated, “The petitioner intends to withdraw the civil review petition and does not want to pursue the matter in the above-titled case.”
Last week, the Supreme Court, responding to a series of review petitions filed against its previous ruling, announced that it would revisit the Faizabad sit-in case on September 28. A three-member bench, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justices Amin-ud-Din Khan and Athar Minallah, will hear the review proceedings.
In light of this decision, the lawyer for Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed submitted a petition seeking the adjournment of the Faizabad sit-in review case and contesting the judicial observations against Rashid. The petition cited Rashid’s custody and the appointment of his lawyer, Amanullah Kanrani, as a provincial law minister, making his appearance in the case impossible.
The legal proceedings related to the Faizabad sit-in case began on April 15, 2019, when the federal government, along with various entities, including the Defence Ministry, Intelligence Bureau, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government, AML chief, Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM), and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), among others, filed review petitions contesting the Supreme Court’s judgment.
IB withdraws review petition in Faizabad Dharna case pic.twitter.com/jYU1AnKNon
— Hamza Azhar Salam (@HamzaAzhrSalam) September 26, 2023
Earlier, on February 6, 2019, a two-member bench of the Supreme Court, consisting of now-CJP Isa and Justice Mushir Alam, recommended stringent action against individuals issuing edicts or fatwas to harm others or put them in harm’s way. The bench also emphasized that intelligence agencies must not exceed their respective mandates. The bench concluded a suo moto case related to the 2017 Faizabad sit-in staged by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The verdict issued by the two-judge bench stated that every citizen and political party has the right to assemble and protest, provided such activities are peaceful and comply with the law, imposing reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The right to assemble and protest is subject to limitations only to the extent that it infringes on the fundamental rights of others, including their right to free movement and property.
In November 2017, the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the three-week-long sit-in, which protested against a change in the finality-of-Prophethood oath in the Elections Act 2017. The sit-in ended after an agreement was reached between the protesters and the government.
