The Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) have both submitted applications before the Supreme Court seeking to withdraw review petitions against the top court’s 2019 verdict on the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP)’s 2017 dharna in Faizabad, Islamabad.
“The petitioner intends to withdraw the titled civil review petition and does not want to pursue the matter in the case,” read the single-page request filed on behalf of the IB director-general on Tuesday. A day later, on Wednesday, PEMRA similarly submitted a request saying the body’s chairman did not wish to pursue the matter.
Headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a three-member bench comprising Justices Aminuddin Khan and Athar Minallah is set to take up a set of review petitions against the Faizabad verdict on Sept. 28 (Thursday). Apart from the petitions filed by IB and PEMRA, the Ministry of Defense, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed have also moved pleas.
Ahmed has not yet sought to withdraw his review plea, but his counsel Amanullah Kanrani has sought a postponement, as he is currently serving as interim law minister for Balochistan and cannot appear before the apex court.
The initial judgement, authored by Justice Isa, had directed the defense ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalize all personnel under their command who had violated their oath. It had further directed the federal government to monitor individuals and groups advocating hate, extremism and terrorism and prosecute them in accordance with law.
Of the filed review petitions, the defense ministry had argued there was no evidence to suggest the armed forces were involved with either the sit-in or a “particular” outcome of the 2018 elections. It had further urged the court to set aside all explicit or implicit observations about armed forces and the Inter-services Intelligence, claiming “hostile foreign intelligence agencies” were seeking to create a “false perception against Pakistan and its armed forces.”
The IB, meanwhile, had urged the court to set aside its observations against the department, stressing it was a premier civilian intelligence agency responsible for state security. The review petition, which the IB wishes to withdraw, had claimed the SC order had created a “bad impression” on the public that the department was transgressing its mandate and involved in unlawful activities and politics.
The PTI’s review petition had argued against the ruling mentioning its 2014 joint sit-in with Pakistan Awami Tehreek. It had stated that the judgement created the impression that the PTI’s dharna was an “illegal” protest for “publicity,” arguing that the sit-in was for genuine reasons and in accordance with the fundamental rights of the people.
Ahmed’s petition, meanwhile, had sought to have his name removed from the judgement, as it specifically cited him as among the politicians who publicly supported the TLP’s sit-in.