Chaudhry Nisar presser: Opposition leader accuses Riaz of conspiring against SC

Says ‘trapping’ and ‘blackmailing’ CJP’s son is a grave crime.

ISLAMABAD:

Hours after the hearing of a suo moto notice over allegations against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s son, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan accused real-estate tycoon Malik Riaz of hatching a conspiracy.

The chief justice had taken notice of rumors that his son Dr Arsalan Iftikhar had been involved in a business deal with property tycoon Riaz to ‘influence’ a number of cases pending before the court against him.

Riaz allegedly gave Rs300 million to Dr Arsalan, besides bearing expenses of his foreign visits, in return for influencing his father.

“Trapping and blackmailing the son of the chief justice is a grave crime,” Nisar said while addressing the media at Parliament House on Wednesday.  He, however, did not comment on the case saying the matter was sub-judice, making it inappropriate to make a statement.

The opposition leader said that the time has come to tell the nation about the ‘deals’ between President Zardari and Malik Riaz.

He further claimed that Malik Riaz spent money on influential people and had even hired nine retired generals to fulfill his “evil designs”.

Nisar accused Riaz of encroaching lands of thousands of the people, and demanded that the matter of forced occupation from his constituency in Rawalpindi should be resolved.

Nisar also alleged that some well-known lawyers who were in forefront of the movement for the restoration of the judiciary were enjoying perks and privileges offered by Riaz.

Information minister’s statement

Meanwhile, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the government had nothing to do with the case of Arsalan Iftikhar and it should not be dragged into the matter unnecessarily, according to a press release.

Talking to a private TV channel, Kaira said the media should not report allegations without evidence.

Asked whether in his view the chief justice should sit on a bench probing the case of his son, Kaira said, “The Supreme Court rules do not provide that a judge becomes a part of a bench if he/she has some personal interest. In the case of the prime minister, his relative did not sit on the bench hearing that petition.”

Asked whether Malik Riaz had close relationship with the president, the minister said that Riaz had good relations with the leadership of all political parties.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2012.