LHC seeks assistance from DAG in case against Gilani, family

Petiti­oner Tariq Ahmed submit­ted that the prime minist­er had submit­ted incorr­ect asset detail­s to ECP.

LAHORE: Chief Justice Lahore High Court directed the Deputy Attorney General on Wednesday to assist the court in determining whether a writ petition could be maintained against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, seeking his disqualification in cases of alleged loan default and getting loans written off for his wife Fauzia Gilani.

Tariq Ahmed, a resident of Johar Town, had filed the petition, stating that in accordance to Article 63(1)(q), (f) of the constitution, Gilani was ineligible to be prime minister.

LHC has scheduled a hearing for April 11.

Ahmed contended that there were contradictory facts in Gilani’s statement to the Election Commission of Pakistan on November 25, 2007, declaring his assets and liabilities. Counsel for the petitioner, presenting his argument, produced a statement from Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL). The statement showed loans written off in favor of Fauzia Gilani, amounting to Rs 354.318 million while the remaining defaulted interest amount of Rs 45.521 million was paid in 12 installments.

He further argued that the defaulted loans stood at the time of Gilani filing nominations for a National Assembly seat. The petitioner had submitted that the prime minister’s family owned two companies, including Pak Agro Fertilisers and Multan Edible Oil Extraction, which had defaulted on loans from ZTBL and National Bank of Pakistan. Both companies were also decreed by the banking courts. Fauzia Gilani was a director in both companies when these were declared as defaulters while in the assets statement on June 30, 2007, Gilani had not shown the shares held by her in the both companies.

The petition further mentioned that ZTBL had also filed a recovery suit against Pak Green Fertiliser Limited and its seven Directors, including Fauzia Gilani. They were decreed by the Karachi Banking Court for an amount of over Rs 148 million.

The prime minister’s wife had undertaken to pay Rs 71.480 million with interest amount; however, the decree remained unsatisfied until the filing of nomination papers in ECP by Gilani.

Regarding the prime minister’s son, Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Abdul Qadir Gilani, he stated that Abdul Qadir had mentioned that he owned a house 155/B Defence, Lahore, in his assets statement on June 2008, adding that that the house was gifted to him by his father, while Gilani’s statement to ECP in June 2007 did not show such transfer of property.

Petitioner, Ahmed, prayed for directions to disqualify Gilani as prime minister as he was not honest and ‘Ameen’ as he had filed an incorrect declaration of his assets to the ECP.

After recording initial arguments, the CJ summoned the DAG to assist the court on how a prime minister could be disqualified on the grounds of getting loans written off in favor of his wife.