SC reserves judgement in Arsalan Iftikhar case
Dr Iftikhar says he wants a transparent investigation which is “as clear as glass”.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court of Pakistan reserved judgement in the financial impropriety case against Dr Arsalan Iftikhar on Tuesday and stated that a verdict will be announced in a day or two, Express News reported.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Jawad S Khwaja heard the case today.
Following media reports that Dr Iftikhar had received between Rs300 and Rs400 million from Riaz to influence judicial proceedings, the chief justice had taken suo motu notice and had summoned him and Bahria Town’s chief.
Dr Iftikhar’s counsel, Sardar Ishaq, while presenting his arguments before the court said that business tycoon Malik Riaz is an influential person in Islamabad.
Ishaq requested the court that a judge should be tasked to inquire about the allegations levelled against his client. Taking a jibe at Ishaq’s statement, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that if Ishaq did not trust anyone, should the court then call someone from abroad.
Responding to Justice Hussain’s remark, Ishaq said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is an objective organization, but the chairman of NAB cannot carry an impartial investigation.
I want transparent investigation: Dr Iftikhar
Speaking to the media on the premises of the Supreme Court, Dr Iftikhar said he wanted a transparent investigation which is “as clear as glass”.
Complaining about the joint investigating team in the case, Dr Iftikhar said that he had concerns regarding how the team was constituted and how the members were selected.
Dr Iftikhar said that the way Riaz’s son-in-law, Salman Ahmed, had sent out a text message claiming that he was facing security threats in Pakistan was incorrect and that he did not “even recognise Ahmed by face.”
‘Only NAB can hear the case’
Riaz’s counsel Zahid Bukhari said that lawfully, only NAB can hear the case, as all the financial impropriety cases are investigated by the bureau.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan reserved judgement in the financial impropriety case against Dr Arsalan Iftikhar on Tuesday and stated that a verdict will be announced in a day or two, Express News reported.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Jawad S Khwaja heard the case today.
Following media reports that Dr Iftikhar had received between Rs300 and Rs400 million from Riaz to influence judicial proceedings, the chief justice had taken suo motu notice and had summoned him and Bahria Town’s chief.
Dr Iftikhar’s counsel, Sardar Ishaq, while presenting his arguments before the court said that business tycoon Malik Riaz is an influential person in Islamabad.
Ishaq requested the court that a judge should be tasked to inquire about the allegations levelled against his client. Taking a jibe at Ishaq’s statement, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that if Ishaq did not trust anyone, should the court then call someone from abroad.
Responding to Justice Hussain’s remark, Ishaq said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is an objective organization, but the chairman of NAB cannot carry an impartial investigation.
I want transparent investigation: Dr Iftikhar
Speaking to the media on the premises of the Supreme Court, Dr Iftikhar said he wanted a transparent investigation which is “as clear as glass”.
Complaining about the joint investigating team in the case, Dr Iftikhar said that he had concerns regarding how the team was constituted and how the members were selected.
Dr Iftikhar said that the way Riaz’s son-in-law, Salman Ahmed, had sent out a text message claiming that he was facing security threats in Pakistan was incorrect and that he did not “even recognise Ahmed by face.”
‘Only NAB can hear the case’
Riaz’s counsel Zahid Bukhari said that lawfully, only NAB can hear the case, as all the financial impropriety cases are investigated by the bureau.