IHC warns officials of contempt proceedings regarding Faizabad sit-in

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) threatened on Friday to slap contempt charges against officials for not complying with court orders regarding the Faizabad sit-in last year.

According to local media reports, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui expressed his displeasure at the lack of response of the government for not responding to the directives issued to them. The court had earlier directed Deputy Attorney General Arshad Kiyani to submit a copy of the Raja Zafarul Haq committee report.

The Zafarul Haq-led committee was formed to probe the issue of the amendment in the oath regarding the Finality of Prophethood.

Kiyani on being inquired about the report said that the report had not been signed by one of the committee member therefore the report could not be submitted.

Court orders protesting religious parties to end Islamabad sit-in

The judge also asked why Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa's name had been written in the agreement between the officials and Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi. The judge asked the Defence Secretary retired Lieutenant General Zamirul Hassan Shah to answer the question in his report.

The court then adjourned the hearing to February 12 while ordering all the required reports to be submitted.

Last year in November, religious parties had been protesting against a reversed change in the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat oath in the Elections Act 2017. The parties were protesting against the government’s controversial amendment and reversal in the finality of Prophethood oath for lawmakers.

The protest had come to an end after the protesting parties and government reached an agreement. One of the agreement included the resignation of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid which he had later tendered.