PEMRA also withdraws Faizabad review plea

SC bench to take up civil petition against Faizabad sit-in case judgment today

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has filed an application in the Supreme Court to withdraw its civil review petition against the apex court’s 2019 verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) had sought to withdraw a similar petition a day ago.

PEMRA Chairman Muhammad Saleem Baig filed the application in the apex court on Wednesday through advocate Muhammad Sharif Janjua.

“The competent authority [PEMRA chairman] vide a letter dated 26.09.2023 has desired that the titled Civil Review Petition filed on behalf of PEMRA may be withdrawn. [PEMRA] does not want to pursue the matter,” said the application filed in the court.

Interestingly, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Qazi Faez Isa is going to resume hearing the review petitions today [Thursday].

On Tuesday, the IB moved the Supreme Court for the withdrawal of its review petition against the judgment delivered in the Faizabad sit-in case more than four years ago. The IB also stated that it did not want to pursue the case anymore.

At least eight review petitions were filed against the Faizabad sit-in case judgment, which was authored by Justice Isa and unveiled on February 6, 2019.

The judgment dealt with the role of intelligence agencies in a 20-day sit-in staged by the ultra-orthodox Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party at the intersection of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in November 2017.

The TLP had launched the protest against the alleged changes made in lawmakers’ oath avowing that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is the last messenger of Allah through the Elections Bill 2017. The protesters had demanded the resignation of the then law minister, Zahid Hamid.

The protests had paralyzed daily life in the twin cities for 20 days. During that period, several rounds of bilateral talks were held between the government and protesters. Zahid Hamid had eventually stepped down on November 27, 2017, on the demand of the TLP.

On November 21, 2017, the Supreme Court had initiated a suo motu proceeding on the sit-in. On November 22, 2018, a two-judge bench comprising Justice Isa and Justice Mushir Alam reserved its ruling. The SC on February 6, 2019, unveiled its 43-page judgment authored by Justice Isa.