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Arsalan Iftikhar case: Malik Riaz to appear in court tomorrow
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Father, son and Supreme Court
The Arsalan Iftikhar scandal is going to unfold further and is going to claim its martyrs.
It is hard to tell what the endgame will be in the Arsalan Iftikhar case. PHOTO: AGENCIES
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has asserted that “neither the Pakistan Army nor the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had anything to gain from the alleged case of graft charges on Arsalan Iftikhar”. He also said that “the PPP respects all institutions and has no score to settle with the judiciary”, but added mysteriously that the accuser in the case, the real estate tycoon “Malik Riaz had ties with all political parties and not just the PPP”.
What was not a mystery was the way he tried to weave the cases against his own sons with the allegations Malik Riaz had made with the help of certain journalists. The undeclared intent was to award a certificate of innocence to the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in hopes of extending it to his sons. The truth of the matter is that Justice Chaudhry has called his son to the Court and has placed the burden of proof, to be presented against him, with Malik Riaz, whose lawyer has initiated the process by denying that his client ever met any journalists to reveal the scandal he attaches to the Chief Justice’s son.
Here the mystery deepens: Malik Riaz will return to Pakistan from abroad against the advice of his doctor as a gesture of respect for the Supreme Court — despite health issues — and depose before the two-judge bench set up to hear the case. By all signs and tokens, the gentleman is going to recant and seek some kind of closure to the case that he has unleashed with his accusations. At least, his lawyer seeks to give the impression that no sparks are going to fly.
It is hard to tell what the endgame will be. If Mr Riaz thinks he will get away by pinning all the accusations on the son of the Chief Justice, while definitively asserting that the latter did not know what his son was doing and was uninvolved in the gallivanting that Arsalan Iftikhar was doing with big money in Europe, he is mistaken. This scandal is going to unfold further and is going to claim its martyrs.
The journalists, who accept that they visited Mr Riaz and saw some of the evidence of Arsalan Iftikhar benefiting from the bounty of the tycoon to the tune of millions of rupees, are already scurrying for cover. There is argument unfolding on TV channels about whether they collaborated with Mr Riaz or reported the matter unethically. Some of them were convinced that there was meat in the evidence shown to them but are now collectively arrayed in defence of the Chief Justice as the targeted party of what they think was a ‘sting operation’ or entrapment.
The journalists are also claiming that they did not disclose the details of the case till much later when politicians began to refer to it. They thought that they should keep the lid on the scandal till they had more solid proof. This, one might say, is not an entirely immaculate assertion. Scandals have been dug up and made to blow up when the proof in some cases was quite slender. What they may, in fact, be fearing is that they may have unknowingly become accessories in the sting operation. The enveloping irony is that Mr Riaz says he did not even meet the journalists.
The most fallacious and misleading ‘principle’ lately established in Pakistan for arriving at a correct apportionment of blame is initiated by the question: who benefits? It is often used to blame India, the US and Israel for the acts of terrorism that happen in Pakistan. This formula has become so popular — it was a part of the ‘games theory’ originally — that people are now trying to focus on the PPP for Arsalangate. Just because the Chief Justice was seen to be victimising the PPP government, it would be incorrect to assume that the PPP has got back at him through Malik Riaz.
The case will unfold at the Supreme Court in the coming days. Even if the accusations are withdrawn or deemed non-existent, things are not going to be the same in this cauldron of scandals called Pakistan. But then how else should a nation achieve self-correction?
Published In The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2012.
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Reader Comments (18)
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Let the truth and the whole truth come out no matter who the culprit is. What is fair for PM and his son must be fair for Arsalan. If PM’s sons cases were not entrapment then Arsalan case must not be. What is good for goose is good for the gander. Now the shoe is on the other foot for a change, let us see how it feels?
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The truth is PPP has everything to do with this case. Rehman malik and Zardari do their private business with Malik Riaz. Meaning Malik Riaz is a key facilitator for PPP to tranfer all the loot overseas for them. Since anti-corruption session court has opened cases against him, he decided to lure CJ son to malign the courts. A way of blackmailing. Also, it is very likely that PPP want to remove CJ before the next elections. therefore Arsalan Iftikhar case. Malik Riaz is as big of an enemy of Pakistan as Rehman Malik and Zardari.
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I may not agree with entire content of this Editorial, the last paragraph and last word sticks to my mind, “self-correction”; this word relates to ” Mukafat-e-Amal” or “what goes around; comes around”. No more to say.
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First it was Mukhtari Mai and now Arsalangate. Gradually the distortions of history are being corrected. Truth always prevails and President Musharraf was right!
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on one hand the editor is saying that the ‘ PM tried to weave the cases against his own sons with the allegations Malik Riaz had made with the help of certain journalists. The undeclared intent was to award a certificate of innocence to the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in hopes of extending it to his sons’ and at the same time the editor is saying we should not ask who is to benefit. i believe the editor at ET should do proper homework before finalising the editorial because what i am reading makes me wonder who is writing the editorial
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Malik sahab is a farce !!!….supreme court will create history
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there is one honest person in pakistan and corrupt people want to blackmail him
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I think Malik Riaz is trying to create some drama. May be to embazzle the money collected through Bahria Town schemes (Who can give bribes from hard earned money) or to give seome service to Government. Arsalan Iftikhar may turn out to be a convict (most likely), an accomplice (more likely) or innocent (less likely).
One thing is for sure, behind the curtain is something different.
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Mr. Bahria did not return to Pakistan to establish the supremacy of law but to stir up the pot. His lawyer should have told him “not to wash dirty laundry in public” when the matter is before the court.
Also what was the point of carrying Koran and showing it in public. Leave this religious drama aside and just say to the press that the matter is before the court, so I cannot say anything.
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CJ is the symbol for the nation. the cases hes taken up are no ordinary cases. never before have cases like this have come before the supreme court. CJ is not responsible for the actions for his son. great leaders in the past also had troubles in the family life be it Muhammad Ali Jinnah or Gandhi ji. But what they did for their countries is far beyond words. CJ is also at the cross road. the nation stands behind you. we look to you with honour.
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@Max: “Also what was the point of carrying Koran and showing it in public. Leave this religious drama aside and just say to the press that the matter is before the court,”
When we have been hollering out Islam in danger since 1947 why should we stop with the drama now? Be grateful that he did not hold the Quran over his head like the other drama in Lyari, and as many nobodies have not died.
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I think son of Chief Justice has made another effort to become Super Chief Justice, as he did during Musharraf’s time. At that time also, these so called politicians exploited his deeds to create a rift between Chief Justice and Musharraf. Musharraf was misled by these double cross Chowdhry Brothers and took extreme actions against Justice Iftekhar, which he still repents.
There is not much of philosophy in this case. It is a simple counter attack by Ali Baba and Chalees Gru & Chores to defame the Chief Justice and Supreme Court as a whole, with a view to creating a escape route for themselves.
Imagine had Army intervened in these conditions to save and protect country’s institutions and assets, it would have been a civil verses Army drama. These traitor would have not refrained from creating an open civil war conditions, with that Haqqani’s Memogate invitation to Americans to save this democracy in Pakistan.
Democracy ki Aisi Ki Taisi.
Allah! Save this Pakistan.
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Parents are not responsible for the ill behavior of their children and vice verse, Dr.Arsalan Ifthikhar is a grown up man and he is responsible for his actions, although the Chief Justice will feel the pain but he has to stand for the rule of law and it seems he is going to do it.People of Pakistan should not forgive this underhanded scheme by this ruling thugs in Islamabad.
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Its a sad affair. CJ looks a fair man. Pertinent to mention, Arsalan is a grown up man but one point must understand by everyone that Arsalan activities was not legal (as Mr. Aitazaz already discussed with CJ before), on that point CJ must explore his son thoroughly and check his each and every buiness activity. This is the moral and religious responsibility of a Father. This is a gross negligence of CJ. I wish we will safe our judiciary and let the system do not derale. God bless Pakistan!
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@fazal subhan: Lol…. who??? CJ
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Now thinngs have bee proved that Judicary movement was funded by political party (PML – N), JANG Group, Malik Riaz and other foreign elements in order to remove Mushraf. Now every this is clear that “when there is a smoke, there is a fire” which means reference against CJ was right.
Can anyone ask in 2007 Arsalan was in Civil Burecrary (through the influnce of his father – posting in FIA etc) and since after Judicial movement he become so successful businessman that he is enjoying lavish life-stle and going abroad with family and spending millions of US $. Why Supreme Court had not asked Tax Returns of Arsalan and why his source of funds not questioned ?
To cut the long story short that everyone is invloved in this mees, and it is high time to expose so called self-righteous Jourrnislt or Anchor perosn.
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Accuser before you,
having documentary evidence in hand,
let the court decide the matter according to law.
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very good stand,presented by the prime minister .
He advanced forceful arguments in his party’s favor.
According to him,
accuser have good relations with all parties including PPP.
why they,particular persons,are targeting PPP.
It is an open to all,
accuser has acceptable documents ,there are video footage
among the papers,it mean,agencies are also involved in the matter
which reveals that high profile are behind the scene.
Who they were ???????
it is a sign of interrogation before the nation.
,
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