Daily Times

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has filed an application in the Supreme Court to withdraw its review petition against the court’s verdict on the 2017 sit-in by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) at Faizabad in Islamabad.

Authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), the searing judgement had instructed 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. Adverse observations were also made against several government departments for causing inconvenience to the public as the 20-day sit-in paralysed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Pleas were subsequently moved against the verdict by the Ministry of Defence, IB, PTI, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. The IB’s review petition had urged the court to set aside its observations against the department.

Calling itself a premier civilian intelligence agency responsible for state security, the bureau had claimed the order created a “bad impression” on the public that the IB was transgressing its mandate and involved in unlawful activities and politics.

The observations were based on “vague facts”, the bureau had claimed, adding that during the sit-in, it was in close contact with the federal and Punjab governments and forewarned them about the plans and intentions of TLP.

Headed by CJP Isa, a three-judge bench, which includes Justice Aminud Din Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, will take up the review petitions on September 28 (Thursday). However, the bureau filed a civil miscellaneous application in the apex court, saying that it did not want to pursue the matter and intended to withdraw its review petition. The application requested that it be accepted and the review plea be allowed to be withdrawn.