Faizabad sit-in: commission clears Faiz Hameed

An inquiry commission established to investigate the Faizabad dharna case has exonerated former Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed, Aaj News reported.

The commission included former officer of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Dr Akhtar Ali Shah, senior PAS official Khushhal Khan and former inspector general Tahir Alam.

The commission finalised a 243-page report and submitted it to the Supreme Court as well as the government today. It included statements made in person or in writing by former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Fawad Asadullah, Hameed, former IB chief Aftab Sultan, former Punjab IG Arif Nawaz and former Rangers DG Lt Gen (R) Naveed Azhar Hayat.

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As per the report, the investigation revealed there was no link to establish the involvement of Hameed and former DG Rangers Major General Naveed Azhar Hayat.

The report also called for action against those involved in terrorism and other crimes during the sit-in and said that cases “may be re-opened and investigated and taken to a logical conclusion”.

Faizabad ‘dharna’

In November 2017, political parties including Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan protested and held a sit-in for nearly three weeks at Islamabad’s Faizabad Interchange.

They were protesting against a reversed change in the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017. The protesters demanded the resignation of then Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid.

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In order to disperse the huge number of protesters, Islamabad police, with the help of Frontier Corps personnel and Rangers, launched an operation and used tear gas shells and rubber bullets. In retaliation, protesters threw stones at the security forces. Several people were injured and at least six were killed during the clash.

The protest came to an end after the protesting parties and government reached an agreement. One of the agreement included the resignation of Hamid, which he later tendered.