Shehbaz Sharif’s statement to Faizabad Dharna Commission revealed

ISLAMABAD: The statement given by the former Chief Minister of Punjab (now Prime Minister) Shehbaz Sharif in the Faizabad Dharna Commission came to light on Friday.

In his statement to the Dharna Commission, he said that no intelligence report regarding the ban on TLP was shared with the provincial government and that he had no clue about the party’s sit-in plan.

The now-prime minister Shahbaz Sharif said in his statement that a cabinet sub-committee for peace was formed on law and order matters in Punjab, the committee consisted of the provincial law minister and some other important provincial ministers.

Furthermore, Shahbaz Sharif told the probe commission that the Faizabad sit-in was not expected at that time, DC Rawalpindi, Commissioner, CPO, and RPO had received clear instructions from the sub-committee for law and order.

In the statement given, Shahbaz Sharif said that the government has banned organization under the strict criteria given in the Anti-Terrorism Act.

READ MORE: Inquiry commission gives clean chit to Gen Faiz in Faizabad sit-in case

In the statement given to the Faizabad Dharna Commission, former Chief Minister Punjab also said that as per mandate the ban could have been imposed by the Ministry of Interior.

Earlier, the commission formed to probe the Faizabad sit-in cleared former ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed of any wrongdoing and pinned the blame on the government of the time on April 16.

According to former federal law minister Zahid Hamid, who also stated to the probe commission, junior officers of the ISI Lahore came to his house to take his resignation on November 26, 2017. The former spy chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, and the then DG Rangers Punjab can be seen in the videos distributing money to the protesters after the dharna ended. 

However, the report said that there was no link to establish the involvement of Faiz Hameed and former DG Rangers Maj Gen Naveed Azhar Hayat.

Supreme Court ordered the formation of the probe commission to inquire into the case of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in protest at Faizabad in 2017.