Govt to withdraw curative review petition against Justice Faez Isa

• PM Shehbaz says curative review was based on ill will to filed at Imran Khan's "behest".
• Law Minister directed by PM to take back the curative plea. 
• Cabinet had already given assent to the move last year.

Dubbing it an act of state-led vengeance by the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led regime, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday announced a decision had been taken to call off the curative review petition filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

"On my direction, the government has decided to withdraw the Curative Review Petition against senior most Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Qazi Faez Isa," tweeted the PM.  

PM Shehbaz said that the curative review was based on the ill will to "harass and intimidate" Justice Isa at his predecessor's (Imran Khan) "behest".

A separate statement issued by the PM Office shared that a cabinet meeting chaired by the premier had already given assent to taking back the reference. It added that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has been directed by the PM to take back the curative plea. 

Last year in July, the federal cabinet had approved the withdrawal of the curative review petition.

After the cabinet meeting, which was held under the chair of PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that there was no precedent for the curative review filed against Justice Isa, adding that “it was only filed to keep" the judge "under pressure”.

“Justice Isa is a reputable judge and goons like [former adviser to then prime minister Imran Khan on accountability] Shahzad Akbar treated him unfairly,” he had said.

Sanaullah told journalists, back then, that the law secretary had informed the members of the federal cabinet that no prior approval was taken before the submission of the reference.

“This ruckus was created by Shahzad Akbar and the then law minister,” he had stated.

Back then, the interior minister had mentioned that a sub-committee was formed to take action against all those who made “false references” against Justice Isa. He added that the sub-committee has been asked to submit a report in this regard.

It is unclear whether the sub-committee came into effect and whether a report was submitted after it was formed. 

In 2021, the Imran Khan-led government had filed a curative review petition against the order of the majority in the review petitions of Justice Qazi Faez Isa passed on April 26 of the same year. 

However, the registrar of the Supreme Court had returned the instant petition after raising objections to it, saying that once the review petition is decided, it cannot be reviewed.