The federal government has turned down the request of the Shoaib Suddle Inquiry Commission to provide the services of Federal Investigation Agency officials to assist in the probe being conducted on the orders of the Supreme Court.
The Suddle Commission is investigating the allegations of business links between business tycoon Malik Riaz and Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Malik Riaz has also refused to appear before the commission taking a stance that its legal existence has ended after expiry of its tenure on October 5, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
The Suddle Commission had written to the Director General (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for hiring the temporary services of Director Law FIA Headquarters Muhammad Azam Khan and his subordinate Sub Inspector Ali Imran, but the DG FIA asked the commission to approach the Ministry of Interior in this regard.
The Ministry of Interior turned down the request of the commission saying that the said officials were dealing with a lot of important cases pending before the Supreme Court, the Director Law Azam Khan told The Express Tribune.
Due to the non-cooperation of the federal government the Suddle probe has almost halted, sources familiar with the matter said.
Syed Zahid Hussain Bokhari, the counsel of property tycoon Malik Riaz told The Express Tribune they had challenged the formation of the Suddle Commission in the Supreme Court and anyway its term has ended on October 5.
He said if a bench of the Supreme Court extends the term of the commission, they will challenge this act in the Supreme Court, because only the Chief Justice can extend the term of the inquiry commission.
“We do not accept the Suddle Commission because it has been formed against the norms of justice,” Bokhari said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2012.
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