The government has formed a 3-member inquiry commission to probe into Faizabad dharna 2017, the attorney general on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The commission can also summon former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen (r) Faiz Hameed, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the-then Chief Justice Saqib Nisar. Sabih ul-Hussnain reports that according to the commission’s Terms of Reference, it is also empowered to arrest people for refusing to cooperate.
Speaking about the development of Naya Daur TV’s flagship show ‘Khabar Say Aagay (Beyond the Headlines)’, senior analyst Sajjad Anwar said that our generals should appear before the commission. “If they can go to Supreme Court to dictate its chief justice on political cases ‘to avoid instability’, they should also present themselves before the commission and be held accountable for their role in creating instability in the country”, he said.
“Every few hours our deep state creates a new group of fanatics with extremist religious views. These groups have caused irreparable damage to Pakistan’s politics, its economy and the society as a whole. And nobody is then held responsible for creating these monsters. Generals are not ready to present themselves for accountability, lawyers say they’re untouchable, doctors have refused to serve in hospitals in the past, journalists have their own bodies. We’re creating a free-for-all society where law holds no value at all”, Anwar added.
Nadia Naqi, senior journalist and anchor on Dawn News, said that she had high hopes in this commission because Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is very clear about the supremacy of the constitution. “The government and courts will have to fulfill this responsibility. Faizabad dharna case has to reach its logical end”, she said.
Journalist Aijaz Ahmed opined that General Faiz Hameed could not have done all of it on his own. He must have been given clear orders by his bosses. We should be careful about fixing the responsibility on one person alone, he added.
Host of the show Raza Rumi said that the army officials responsible for creating this extremist groups cannot hide behind ‘national security’ now.
Beyond the Headlines is hosted by Raza Rumi Monday-Saturday 9 PM on Naya Daur TV.