CJ GATE

History of Corruption Of Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar

Chaudhry and His Son



Ch Iftikhar talented son, completed his medical school in 7 years as he was admitted
in medical college on his fathers quota although he got C Grade in intermediate
exams. Then Ch Iftikar realized that its time to find an influential family for his son to get
married. Arsalans wife is the daughter of a senior army officer. His son secured only
16/100 marks in English in Civil Service Exams but he sent his son to FIA by bulldozing all
Public service commission rules. Again a smart man, who knows how to make money,

Dr Arsalan was first caught during Gen Musharraf regime by journalist Ansar Abbasi for
misusing his fathers position to get posting in police as ASP and Assistant Director in
Federal Investigation Agency. Mr Abbasi preferred to pardon him once the free
judiciary movement kicked off after the sacking of Mr Chaudhry by Gen Musharraf.

Ansar Abbasi was among the first to bring forth allegations against Chief Justice Iftikhar
Chaudhry for gross misconduct in 2002, accusing him for admitting his son Dr. Arsalan
to the Federal Investigation Agency undermining all merits. Primarily based on this
allegation the establishment moved a reference to Supreme Judicial Council against
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Those who proclaim him as a hero and as someone who stood up to a General
conveniently forget that Iftikhar Chaudhry was one of the judges who legitimized
Musharrafs (rightful) takeover of the Government under the doctrine of necessity.
Not only that, he was also among the first judges to take an oath on the PCO in
January 2000. It gets more interesting: on April 13 2005, in the Judgment on 17th
Amendment and Presidents Uniform Case, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was one of 5
Supreme Court judges who dismissed all petitions challenging President Musharrafs
consistitutional amendments. In a wide ranging judgment they declared that the
Legal Framework Order (LFO) instituted by General Musharraf after his suspension of
the constitution, the 17th amendment which gave this constitutional backing, and the
two offices bill which allowed Musharraf to retain his military uniform whilst being
President were all legal.



Print and electronic media in Pakistan is used to remain very active and in search of
any thrilling story soon after its independence given by President Musharraf.

Mr. Ansar Abbasi (The News) investigated about the Chief justice and found that
always a favor was given to his son Dr. Arsalan Chaudhry, directly by the orders of CJP
himself, which were mostly not on merit at all. Due to unknown reasons, he did not
public this story. However, he slipped his tongue in Geos famous Capital Talk in early
2007. Kamran Khan, from Geo, also brought Dr. Arsalan on telephone call in early
2007, asking about the news against him.

Dr. Arsalan, the son of CJP denied the news and told media that he is going to Court
to defend these allegations. CJP anxious about media reports raised this matter to
President Musharraf in his meeting with him on 13th February 2007. President instructed
the investigation agencies to explore the realities behind these reports. The famous
letter from Naeem Bukhari stimulated the issue even more.

When the investigation completed, the findings were very shocking for President. They
all were going against CJP. It revealed that not even the allegations of media about
his son are true but also more serious findings were brought into notice of President
Musharraf, including his personal corruption and greed for protocol, for which he was
not entitled for. It all worried President. CJP had been used to visit President in his office
and house many times, even with his family. There was nothing wrong in the personal
terms and relations between the both.

President Musharraf, at this moment, however had to decide what to select. Either he
had to prefer personal relations or to follow the legal course of actions.
There was also a case against Arsalan Choudry in a court in Baluchistan, that from the
Health Department in Baluchistan he had shifted to the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA), that he had obtained training in the Police Academy, that he reportedly drove a
BMW 7-Series car, that there was a complaint against him with the National
Accountability Bureau (NAB).



Full text of the reference against CJP Justice Chaudhry was leaked to the press on 19
March 2007. The main charges against CJP Justice Chaudhry are as following.

CJP Son got C grade in intermediate exams but CJP forced government officials to
unlawfully help his son get admission to medical college and then had him appointed
as Grade 18 Police Officer.

CJP was entitled to use a 1700cc car, but he used a 3000cc Mercedes and kept
several other vehicles in his use in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.
CJP required more protocol than he deserved. He required senior officials to receive
him at airports and was also using helicopters and planes to go to private functions.

Use of a BMW Car RAZIA 1 by his family different Oral and Written Orders in cases
worth 55 million PKR asking for more perks than he was eligible for.

Arsalaan Iftikhar, the son of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
involves in a corruption case. The allegation against Dr. Arsalaan is that he had taken
Rs. 300 million from property tycoon Malik Riaz to influence cases pending against him
before the court.

Finally Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhrys son Arsalan Iftikhars corruption of at least Rs300
million has come to fore. Now Dr Arsalan, a police-cum-realtor, again in the lime light
not for different reasons. He has reportedly made millions of rupees during the last
couple of years, exploiting fully his fathers position. He also got millions of investment in
his mysterious businesses from real estate tycoon, Malik Riaz.
He even received millions from different parties on the promise of getting them
favorable judgment from his fathers Supreme Court. So much so his several foreign
trips had been sponsored by the interested parties as well as MR. Malik Riaz.

Now these parties including MR Malik Riaz had presented the proof of Dr Arsalans
illegal wealth he made in last two years to the government.
The documentary evidence is also with Hamid Mir, Kamran Khan, Qamar Zaman Kaira
and Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan.

Dr Arsalan had made Rs300millions to Rs400 millions. In fact the amount has been
given to the CJs son to frame him. And ironically he readily accepted it to be framed,
is not it lovely conspiracy theory.

Video clips had also been made and it would be even bigger scandal than that of
Memo gate. It will be called Family gate scandal.

Parwaiz Musharraf was right in case of Iftikhar Chaudhry because Arsalan got C Grade
in intermediate exams but Iftikhar Chaudry forced government officials to unlawfully
help his son to get admission to medical college.

His son secured only 16/100 marks in English in Civil Service Exams but he sent his son to
FIA by bulldozing all Public service commission rules and he was appointed as Grade
18 Police Officer.

Many others allegations against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry were true. There were
serious allegations against the CJP. Question is whether CJP above law? Should there
be no forum for his accountability? Even President is not above law. There is a
procedure written clear in constitution regarding his impeachment. The media and the
lawyers of CJP escaped themselves out of hearings of SJC, by using the political and
media fronts, making false perceptions. By claiming that a dictator sitting in Army
House has summoned CJP and threat him to resign, totally wrong environment
developed, which hijacked the minds of public, and a civil disobedience sort of
movement sponsored in streets and roads of Pakistan, labeled under lawyers
Movement, powered by political parties and media.
Now corruption of Iftikhar Chaudhry and his son has exposed and he should resign and
they have to face cases and allegations against him in a neutral judiciary.


Advocate Naeem Bokharis letter to Pakistans controversial Chief
Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry


The famous letter from Naeem Bukhari stimulated the issue even more. When the
investigation completed, the findings were very shocking for President. They all were
going against CJP.

Naeem bukharis letter was a witness of Iftikhar Chaudry corruptions.(visit this link to
read his letter http://criticalppp.com/archives/6040)

Here we published the original letter written by Naeem Bukhari





Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Islamabad
Pakistan

My Lord:
I write this letter as an Officer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; as an Advocate
enrolled in the apex Court since 1984 and in the High Courts since 1972; as an Attorney
who has paid more income tax from his earnings in the legal profession than many of
my friends, colleagues and seniors elevated to the Bench; and as a stake-holder in the
dispensation of justice, intimately and vitally interested in the functioning of the
Supreme Court.

Many judges who adorn the Bench in the Supreme Court and the High Court know me
over decades, as a person endowed by nature with a pleasant disposition and
acceptance of human failings. Towards the courts, my approach has always been of
consistent and continuous display of respect and humility. I bow out of conviction, not
compulsion. I use the words My Lords, because I want to, not because I have to. As
an Attorney, I look up to the Court and want to see it on a high pedestal of dignity,
compassion and justice, tempered with mercy.

I have seen my Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Hamood-ur-Rahman, Chief
Justice Muhammad Yaqub Ali, Chief Justice S. Anwar-ul-Haq, Chief Justice
Mohammad Haleem and how the Court functioned under them in the 1970s/1980s.

I witnessed the proceedings for the ouster of Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, became
aware that the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, had
worked on some judges of the Supreme Court and saw the physical assault on the
Court.

I was appalled at the manner in which Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan led the
Supreme Court and pained at the insinuations against Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad,
when he was the Chief Justice.

I was horrified by the establishment of a Bench of five judges constituted by Chief
Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui to determine whether reduction in the retirement age
for judges was constitutional or not. This was clearly designed to block your
appointment. I was against the idea of Mr. Amirul Mulk Mengal being made the Chief
Justice before you. Within the limits of my influence (which I readily admit to be very
limited), I was totally for you to become the Chief Justice. Justice Javed Buttar is
aware of my position, as is the Attorney General of Pakistan. The accelerated issue of
the notification appointing you the Chief Justice put Justice Siddiquis move to rest.

I believed that you were vigorous, capable of lifting up the Supreme Court, creating
an espirit-de-corps among your brother judges, restoring the dignity and grandeur of
the apex Court, particularly considering the long tenure before you.

Alas this has not come about.
I am not perturbed by your insistence on protocol (despite my belief that the Chief
Justice would rise in the eyes of everybody if he walked from his residence to the
Supreme Court and hooters, police escort, flags is just fluff, not the substance of an
office).

I am mildly amused at your desire to be presented a guard of honour in Peshawar. I
am titillated by the appropriation of a Mercedes-Benz car or is it cars, the use of the
Government of the Punjabs airplane to offer Fateha in Multan, to Sheikhupura for
Fateha on a Government of the Punjab helicopter, to Hyderabad on a Government
of the Sinds plane for attending a High Court function, the huge amount spent in
refurbishing the chamber and residence of the Chief Justice, the reservation for
yourself of a wing in Supreme Court Judges guest house in Lahore, the permanent
occupation by the Supreme Court of the official residence of the Chief Justice of Sind,
who per force lives in the basement of his fathers house. As his class fellow in the
Government College, Lahore, I can vouch that living in the basement will do him no
harm.

I am not perturbed that Dr. Arsalaan (your son) secured 16/100 in the English paper for
the Civil Services Examination, that there is a case against him in some court in
Baluchistan, that from the Health Department in Baluchistan he has shifted to the
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), that he has obtained training in the Police
Academy, that he reportedly drives a BMW 7-Series car, that there is a complaint
against him with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
My grievances and protests are different.

I am perturbed that the Supreme Court should issue a clarification statement on his
behalf. I am perturbed that Justice (Retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed should be constrained
to advise you on television that people who live in glass houses should not throw
stones at others. I am perturbed that the Chief Justice should summon Mir Shakil-ur-
Rahman to his chambers on Dr. Arsalaans account.

I am appalled that you announce decisions in Court, while in the written judgment an
opposite conclusion is recorded.
In the Petition for leave to appeal filed by Dr. Sher Afghan Niazi, Federal Minister for
Parliamentary Affairs (in which Respondents Counsels were Mr. Khalid Anwar and Mr.
Qadir Saeed), you refused to grant leave in open Court and yet in the written order,
leave was granted to Dr. Sher Afghan Niazi.

On 15-2-2007, Mr. Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim complained that in open Court you had
accepted his appeal but dismissed the same in the judgment, subsequently recorded.

If Mr. Khalid Anwar, a former Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, and Mr
Fakrhuddin, Senior Counsel, are treated in this manner, the fate of lesser known lawyers
would certainly be far worse.

My grievances also concern the manner in which the last and highest court of appeal
is dispensing justice, under your leadership.

My Lord, the dignity of lawyers is consistently being violated by you. We are treated
harshly, rudely, brusquely and nastily. We are not heard. We are not allowed to
present our case. There is little scope for advocacy. The words used in the Bar Room
for Court No. 1 are the slaughter house. We are cowed down by aggression from the
Bench, led by you. All we receive from you is arrogance, aggression and belligerence.
You also throw away the file, while contemptuously announcing: This is dismissed.

Yet this aggression is not for everyone. When Mr. Sharifuddin Pirzada appears, your
Lordships demeanor and appearance is not just sugar and honey. You are
obsequious to the point of meekness. So apart from violating our dignity, which the
Constitution commands to be inviolable, we suffer discrimination in your Court.

I am not raising the issue of verbal onslaughts and threats to Police Officers and other
Civil Servants, who have the misfortune to be summoned, degraded and reminded
that This is the Supreme Court.

The way in which My Lord conducts proceedings is not conducive to the process of
justice. In fact, it obstructs due process and constitutes contempt of the Supreme
Court itself.

I am pained at the wide publicity to cases taken up by My Lord in the Supreme Court
under the banner of Fundamental Rights. The proceedings before the Supreme Court
can conveniently and easily be referred to the District and Sessions Judges. I am
further pained by the media coverage of the Supreme Court on the recovery of a
female. In the bar room, this is referred to as a Media Circus.

My Lord, this communication may anger you and you are in any case prone to get
angry in a flash, but do reflect upon it. Perhaps you are not cognizant of what your
brother judges feel and say about you.

My Lord, before a rebellion arises among your brother judges (as in the case of Mr.
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah), before the Bar stands up collectively and before the entire
matter is placed before the Supreme Judicial Council, there may be time to change
and make amends.

I hope you have the wisdom and courage to make these amends and restore
serenity, calm, compassion, patience and justice tempered with mercy to my
Supreme Court.

My Lord, we all live in the womb of time and are judged, both by the present and by
history. The judgement about you, being rendered in the present, is adverse in the
extreme.

Yours faithfully,
NAEEM BOKHARI
Advocate
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan




Sources:-http://faisalmahmood99.blogspot.com/2012/06/history-of-corruption-
charges-on.html


The role of the Pakistani media is far from satisfactory in this case as in most cases
By Arif Jamal
The surfacing of what has been described as the family gate has put the Pakistani
media in the dock. But unfortunately, for the wrong reasons

The family gate has raised many questions which need to be answered. This article
focuses on the following two questions: Did the media act inappropriately in covering
or, more precisely, not covering the latest scandal in Pakistan? Did the media play in
the hands of Riaz Malik or, as some say, the government or, as some others say, the
military establishment?

Between June 4 when journalist Shaheen Sehbai discussed the scandal on the newly
launched Washington Beat channel on YouTube and June 12 when Malik Riaz
appeared in the Supreme Court with his dossier on Dr Arsalan Chaudhry, a large
number of journalists, anchorpersons and commentators severely criticized the
Pakistani media for having covered the scandal. The common argument was that no
journalist has the documentary evidence to substantiate the allegations. They also
tried to prophesy that Malik Riaz was using these journalists and he would deny having
spoken to them in the court. Some even criticized Mr Sehbai for discussing it on the
social media instead of the newspaper he edits. They argued that this would not have
happened in the West.

Those who were making such criticism were wrong on all counts. The available
evidence shows that Riaz had started showing the dossier to his specially invited guests
as early as six months ago. Although he did not give them the copies of the
documents, he allowed them to cite and quote him.

In other cases, this would have been enough for a reporter to write the story or dig out
the story. Journalistic accounts are not meant for courts of law and are rarely backed
by documents. Riazs guests disappointed him by withholding the news. The news was,
however, spicy enough to become a hot topic among the chattering classes of
Pakistan. In the last one month or so, the same people started referring to it in the
social media. However, the scam hit the headlines in Pakistan once Mr Sehbai
discussed it on the YouTube. Had the media played in the hands of anybody, the
scam would have broken several months ago.

The wealthiest people in any country do and say and make news. Malik Riaz is no
doubt one of the richest persons in Pakistan. Had he been a citizen of the United
States or a European country and paid such money to the son of that countrys Chief
Justice, he would have gotten the news out in six hours instead of six months. The
Supreme Court emerged as a new kind of taboo subject in the wake of the restoration
of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. It would one day give
legitimacy to military action against the present PPP government.

Many journalists and anchorpersons and commentators have been almost begging
the Supreme Court to call in the armed forces against the government. According to
Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, the army chief had refused to act under his orders
when Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry privately sounded him out. The
hope is still alive. The surfing of this scam was bound to smash all hopes of bringing
down the government.

The role of the Pakistani media is far from satisfactory in this case as in most cases. Like
always, the Pakistani media has been selective in its coverage of this scam. The media
is clearly biased against Riaz although some of his allegations are prima facie correct.
There is no evidence of CJs involvement in this scam at the time of writing this story.
However, there is enough evidence that some of the questions raised by Malik Riaz at
his press conference on Tuesday are valid. There is enough evidence that the CJ was
made aware of his sons involvement in the scam by a female journalist, through a
common friend, and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan several months ago. Why did the CJ not
take action or suo moto action before June 4?

The Registrar of the Supreme Court has at least accepted on behalf of the CJ that the
latter met with Riaz before his restoration in broad daylight if not in the darkness of the
night. Under the discipline of the Lawyers Movement, the CJ was not supposed to
meet any government intermediaries. The media is avoiding them as plague.
Many journalists, anchorpersons and commentators have been criticising Malik Riaz for
taking oath on the Holy Quran at his press conference, but the same people
conveniently ignore the fact that the CJ had done the same earlier.

Dr Arsalan is reported to have built a huge business empire in the last 3-4 years. He
claims his net worth is around Rs900 million. He also claims that he had returned
whatever Bahria had paid him or spent on him. The real question for the media to raise
is: Would someone whose total worth is just Rs900 million spend Rs340 million on
pleasure trips to London and Monte Carlo? There are many other questions the media
need to raise but avoids it.

Many journalists, anchorpersons and commentators see the government behind Riaz.
Others see the military establishment pulling Riazs strings. The real issue is whether
Riazs allegations are true. He should be given enough opportunity to prove his
allegations against Dr Arsalan Chaudhry and Dr Arsalan to disprove them. The son of
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry must be treated as any other accused like
the sons of Prime Minister Gilani or any other politician





Arsalan Iftikhar

The most recent sue moto action taken by the Chief Justice of Pakistan happens to be
against one of his own sons, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, on alleged reports that he sought
favors from one of the biggest business magnates of Pakistan, Malik Riaz Hussain.

Dr Iftikhar is not new to the controversies and was previously brought into the limelight
during 2007 when Pervez Musharraf filed a reference against his father before the
Supreme Judicial Council. The reference stated various allegations against Dr Iftikhar;
however, none of them was proven to be true during the famous trial of chief justice.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was suspended by Pervez
Musharraf in March 2007, on various charges pertaining to corruption. According to
the reference filed against the chief justice, one of the charges leveled against him
was that he allegedly committed misconduct by employing his position to gain undue
advantage for Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, his son.

The bizarre reference filed against the chief justice stated that Dr Iftikhar secured an
overall C grade in intermediate examination, which was not sufficient to grant him
admission in Bolan Medical College, in 1996. It was alleged that the then chief minister
of Baluchistan was approached to nominate Dr Iftikhar for admission against leftover
foreign vacant seats/special seats.

According to the reference, nine years later, Dr Iftikhar was appointed as a medical
officer at Institute of Public Health, Quetta in 2005. A few days after his initial
appointment, the chief minister of Baluchistan passed an order, which called for Dr
Iftikhar promotion as section officer in health department.

The orders were allegedly given to the then chief secretary of Baluchistan who
referred the case to Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), as the
authority to approval postings and transfers of secretariat staff.

Ironically, the reference also stated that in the August of 2005, the Ministry of Interior
addressed a letter to the chief secretary of Baluchistan regarding Dr Iftikhars services
being required in FIA.

In September of 2005, the Ministry of Interior issued a notification to appoint Dr Iftikhar
as Assistant Director in the FIA. In the April of 2006, Dr Iftikhar was promoted to the
position of Deputy Director in FIA. After being promoted in FIA, it is alleged that a
campaign was launched to recruit Dr Iftikhar in the police service.

The reference also mentions that in the May of 2006, the Ministry of Interior issued a
letter to Commandment National Police Academy, Islamabad to attach Dr Iftikhar for
field training along with under training ASPs.
A few days later the Ministry of Interior issued another letter which stated that after the
completion of Dr Iftikhars training at National Police Academy, the services of the
trainee be made available to Punjab Police.

In the meantime the Prime Minister Secretariat was allegedly approached to
permanently induct Dr Iftikhar as an employee of the Police Service of Pakistan.

However, his permanent recruitment required an amendment in the Police Service of
Pakistan Rules 1985, which could only be introduced through presidents approval. The
authorities claim that the chief justice exerted immense pressure on the Prime Minister
Secretariat to ensure his sons permanent induction in the police force.

The aforementioned charges, along with other cases, brought about the suspension of
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in March 2007. It triggered an unprecedented wave of
protests and resignations by lawyers and judges including that of Justice Jawwad S
Khwaja, who is now a part of the judges panel in Arsalan Iftikhars graft case.

The reference and charges filed by former president Musharraf were challenged by
the chief justice in the Supreme Court of Pakistan as he believed that the Supreme
Judicial Council will maneuver the judgment according to the presidents will.

Chaudhry was represented by a team of five lawyers including Aitzaz Ahsan, Ali
Ahmad Kurd and Tariq Mehmood. He was reinstated on July 20, 2007 based on the
ruling given by the thirteen-member bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by
Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday. The irony remains that Aitzaz Ahsan, who defended
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the contempt of court case filed against the
premier, was one of the most important members of CJs team. It is important to
mention that Ahsan and his campaign played an important role in his reinstatement.

Shortly afterwards, Mushraraf imposed emergency in Pakistan, during which chief
justice and his family were under house arrest. The house arrest and the anarchy
resulted in the famous lawyers movement and the long march against the unpopular
dictatorial regime of Pervez Musharraf.
It was also one of the rarest moments in the history of Pakistans politics during which all
the major political parties, excluding MQM, worked in unison for the cause of
reinstating the chief justice. The move forced Musharraf to give up one of his two
posts and in the end toppled his government.

The idea of long march from Lahore to Islamabad was floated when President Zardari
backed out of the deal. Opposition Nawaz Sharif threatened the president that he will
lead thousand of lawyers and political activists to march towards Islamabad. It is
alleged that Prime Minister Gilani intervened and forced the president to reinstate
Iftikhar Chaudhry as the chief justice.


Dr. Arsalan, son of Pakistans Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, did indeed accept
bribery from Malik Riaz of Bahria Town in monetary and non-monetary forms. We have
received these documents from at least two sources via email.
The documents comprise summaries as well as receipts of Dr. Arsalans various trips to
London, Monte Carlo etc.
It is important to mention that a significant portion of payments were made in cash. As
per the evidence documents attached below

































.
..







































Finally, a question:
By establishing through documentary evidence that Arsalan did actually accept
monetary benefits and by alleging that the money was accepted in the Supreme
Courts name in order to influence the outcome of judicial proceedings, it is the
integrity, independence and credibility of the SC that has been impugned. The
charge leveled by Malik Riaz never was that the exercise of authority by the SC or the
CJ had been influenced by illegal gratification. That was not the main cause of
concern in public mind.
The charge was that the CJs son had made a promise (in the name of the SC) in
return for consideration and had failed to deliver. Consequently the questions and
doubts in the public mind were threefold: One, did the CJs son accept money and
benefits from Malik Riaz? Two, if so, was the receipt of money the outcome of genuine
business dealings between private persons?
And three, if the CJs son accepted money by creating an impression that he could
get someone relief from the SC, would the SC prosecute him with the same fervor and
rigor that it unleashes on those implicated in lesser corruption scandals? In not
recognizing and addressing these questions and concerns in the Arsalan Iftikhar-Malik
Riaz case, the Supreme Court has seriously erred.
The three failings evident in the Supreme Court ruling are these. One, the assertion that
the court usually refrains from exercising its inquisitorial powers under Article 184(3) isnt
backed by the courts record in the many corruption cases it has handled recently.
When it assumes supervisory jurisdiction and issues categorical directions and
timeframes for inquiries in other scandals, why leave this matter to the attorney
general? Application of restraint in one case and activism in others without any
significant distinction in the subject matter raises the question of whether the court is
applying double standards.
Two, the court celebrates the role of the media when it highlights scandals implicating
executive officeholders, but issues a sermon when the media acts as a whistleblower
in a graft case involving the CJs son. There is no denying that the media needs its own
code of ethics, but a case involving the alleged impropriety of the CJs son might not
have been an opportune time to drive home the point. Additionally, here the media
did not allege any facts that are untrue. So having stumbled on an embarrassing story
regarding the CJs son, should it have simply shoved it under the carpet in the larger
national interest?
And finally, to assert that the concerns in public mind stand addressed because Malik
Riaz has submitted in writing that court verdicts werent affected by his bribes is to miss
the point completely. This man sits on national TV for two hours and continues to hurl
accusations at the CJ and his son and the honorable court asserts the very next day in
a detailed judgment that the matter now rests. Such navet lends credence to SC
detractors who allege that we are living in an era of selective justice.