ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will examine Raja Zafarul Haq-led committee report on Nov 27 when he resumes hearing in four petitions related to the ongoing sit-in at Faizabad.

The committee was formed by the PML-N president Nawaz Sharif to fix the responsibility for the introduction of a controversial amendment to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat declaration for electoral candidates.

The petitions were filed by Tehrik-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah, local cleric Maulana Allah Wasaya, lawyers Rana Abdul Qayyum and Syed Zahoor Pervaiz on Nov 17.

Justice Siddiqui had then adjourned the hearing in the petitions to Nov 29.

However, the judge ordered the registrar office to place the petitions before him on Nov 27 when he would take up show cause notice issued to federal minister for interior Ahsan Iqbal on Nov 24 for not implementing the order regarding removal of sit-in from Faizabad. The registrar office on Saturday dispatched the notices to the petitioners besides issuing the show-cause notice to the interior minister.

Justice Siddiqi in the order issued on Nov 24, directed the secretary ministry of interior to ensure production of report of the committee headed by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq. He directed that the “report shall not be made public till next date of hearing.”

The judge imposed a travel embargo on the suspects involved in amending the declaration related to the finality of prophethood as the order reads: “Persons mentioned therein (in the report) on whom some responsibility has been fixed, shall remain within Pakistan.”

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan were the other two members of the committee that had been constituted by Mr Sharif on Oct 7 with a directive to complete its work within 24 hours.

The change in the language of the candidates’ declaration form through a controversial amendment to the Elections Act, 2017, had provoked religious parties as they alleged that this had intentionally been made to fulfill the western agenda.

Though the Parliament rectified this mistake, the religious parties sought the resignation of federal law minister Zahid Hamid and started a sit-in at Faizabad.

Earlier on Nov 17, Justice Siddiqui directed the district administration to clear Faizabad interchange. However, the interior minister appeared on Nov 20 and sought time from the court to settle this issue through dialogue.

Justice Siddiqui set a three-day deadline for the district administration to clear Faizabad interchange from protesters, when he resumed hearing in the petitions on Nov 24.

He even warned chief commissioner Zulfiqar Haider of sending him to jail for not complying with the directives issued on Nov 17.

When the chief commissioner informed him that the interior minister had stopped the district administration from acting against protesters, Justice Siddiqui issued show cause notice to Mr Iqbal.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2017