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| India-Pakistan |
| Apex court calls out media, ISI over their 'questionable role' in the Faizabad sit-in |
| 2017-12-01 |
| [DAWN] A two-member Supreme Court bench on Thursday castigated government officials, intelligence agencies as well as the media for their 'questionable role' in the sit-in at Faizabad, which had disrupted life in Islamabad and Rawalpindi for 20 days. "How did the protesters get teargas shells and sticks?" Justice Mushir Alam asked the advocate general of the Islamabad jurisdiction. "If you cannot secure the federal capital, how will you secure the country?" he asked, addressing the government. The bench, which is hearing a petition on the disturbance caused to public life due to the sit-in, made the remarks while reviewing a nine-page report submitted to the apex court on Wednesday on behalf of Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Khalid Khattak. At the outset of the hearing, Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood requested the court to adjourn the matter until Tuesday as the attorney general is out of the country. "Why should we adjourn if you are going to be present?" Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked in response. Continuing with the hearing, the judge asked why the country's agencies do not come forward. "Why is the Inter-Services Intelligence ...the Pak military intelligenceagency that controls the military -- heads of ISI typically get promoted into the Chief of Army Staff position. It serves as a general command center for favored turban groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, tries to influence the politix of neighboring countries, and carries out a (usually) low-level war against India in Kashmir... (ISI) representative not here?" he asked, inquiring as to why the intelligence agency was "silent". He added that it was the ISI's responsibility to protect the state. "The poor of this country provide the funds for ISI," he said. Justice Isa also took note of the fact that the protests are not completely over and that a sit-in is still ongoing. |
| Posted by:Fred |