Former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hamid has recorded his statement before the Faizabad sit-in commission, denying allegations of conspiring against the government.
Sources say Faiz told the inquiry commission in his recorded statement that he held talks with the TLP on the instruction of government.
The former spymaster was summoned by the panel — investigating the 2017 sit-in staged by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) — thrice but he failed to appear before it.
He was then sent a questionnaire by the commission to which he responded and stated that he held negotiations with the TLP on the directions of the government.
The probe panel was constituted on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan under the chair of retired IGP Akhtar Ali Shah after the apex court rejected the fact-finding committee report constituted by the government.
On November 15, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that the commission would be empowered to summon anyone, including former army chiefs, prime ministers, and chief justices.
The inquiry commission is required to submit its report to the top court on January 22.
The probe panel had also summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on January 3 but he too didn’t appear and requested the commission to send him questions.
He has now been sent a 21-point questionnaire to answer.
Earlier, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, then-secretary to PM Fawad Hasan Fawad, and other senior officials serving in Islamabad and Punjab who were involved in the episode had appeared before the probe panel.
