Top court dissatisfied with ISI report on Faizabad protest

I fear for the country after seeing the performance of premier agency (ISI), says Justice Isa

ISLAMABAD: The top court on Monday, expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) regarding the financial details of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA) leadership.

A two-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Qazi Faez Isa, resumed the hearing of a suo motu case regarding last year’s Faizabad sit-in.



Justice Alam questioned why the ISI did not mention the source of Khadim Rizvi's income, bank accounts and whether he pays tax or not. "I fear for the country after seeing the performance of premier agency [ISI]," Justice Qazi Faez Isa said.

The bench has summoned  Attorney-General, Ashtar Ausaf Ali (AGP) on next date of hearing.

When Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Sohail Mahmood, who appeared on behalf of the federal government, said the ISI revealed that he is reportedly corrupt, the bench asked him to explain how he did the corruption.

Earlier today, the country’s premier intelligence agency told the Supreme Court that Khadim Hussain Rizvi, whose protest last November brought Islamabad to a standstill, is “reportedly financially corrupt”.

The ISI submitted a comprehensive report, wherein it is stated that the ISI had recommended that the federal government avoid the use of force and resolve the issue peacefully through negations with TLYR.



“Despite ISI’s recommendations to solve the issue politically and avoid the use of force, an operation against the dharna was launched on November 25, 2017 on the orders of the Islamabad High Court. The operation was an utter failure [and] triggered countrywide protests,” says the report. A copy of the 46-page report is available with The Express Tribune.

The complete profiles of the leadership of the protesters – Rizvi, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Asif Jalali, and Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri – have also been attached to the report.