Faizabad sit-in inquiry commission: Ex-DG ISI Faiz Hamid records statement

Former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hamid recorded his statement before the Faizabad sit-in inquiry commission on Thursday.

According to the sources, the commission summoned the former army officer on January 2 (Tuesday), but he did not appear before the panel.

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.

According to the news source, Faiz Hamid in his recorded statement, told the inquiry commission that he held talks with the TLP on government instruction.

Faiz, who was DG Counter Intelligence in the ISI – Pakistan’s premier spy agency – at the time the sit-in staged by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) was held in 2017, denied allegations of conspiring against the government.

The former spymaster was summoned by the panel — investigating the TLP sit-in— thrice but he failed to appear before it.

Later a questionnaire was sent to Faiz Hamid by the commission to which he responded, stating that he held negotiations with the TLP on the directions of the government.

The inquiry commission had also summoned PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, who was serving as the Punjab chief minister at the time of the sit-in, on Jan 3.

However, the former Punjab chief minister, instead requested that the questionnaire prepared for him should be shared so that he could provide detailed replies.

The commission had previously interviewed the then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ahsan Iqbal who was part of his cabinet as interior minister.