Former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Faiz Hamid has recorded his statement before the Faizabad sit-in commission, dismissing claims of plotting against the then-government.
Faiz was summoned three times by the commission probing the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) sit-in in 2017, but he did not show up.
The commission subsequently issued him a questionnaire, to which he answered, stating that he had conversations with the TLP over the government's direction.
According to sources, the commission summoned the former army officer on January 2 (Tuesday), but he did not appear before the panel.
The former ISI chief was absent for the third time from the investigation commission's meeting, which had summoned him in the second week of December last year and again on December 29, according to sources. However, the first notice was unable to be delivered.
The caretaker federal government established the inquiry commission for the execution of the Supreme Court's 2019 Faizabad ruling in November of last year.
The investigation panel was formed on the instructions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, with retired IGP Akhtar Ali Shah as its chairman, after the top court rejected the government's fact-finding committee report.
Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked on November 15 that the commission will have the authority to summon anybody, including former army chiefs, prime ministers, and chief justices.
On January 22, the inquiry committee must deliver its report to the Supreme Court.
The investigation panel also summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on January 3, but he did not appear and requested that questions be sent to him.
He has now received a 21-point questionnaire to answer.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, then-secretary to PM Fawad Hasan Fawad, and other senior officials from Islamabad and Punjab who were engaged in the incident have already appeared before the investigative panel.