Arsalan Iftikhar case: Suddle commission submits interim report to SC
Report says commission could not meet deadline because of lack of cooperation from Malik Riaz, Interior Ministry.
ISLAMABAD:
The Suddle Commission investigating the Arsalan Iftikhar case has submitted an interim investigation report in the Supreme Court on Monday explaining reasons behind the submission delay, reported Express News.
The report said that the commission could not meet its given deadline because of lack of cooperation from business tycoon Malik Riaz and the Interior Ministry. It also expressed displeasure over IG Islamabad not sending a notice to Riaz as ordered.
The commission has also asked Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to give details of bank accounts and tax statements of all respondents in the case. In the report, the commission has also requested for 30 more days from the apex court to investigate the case further.
During the investigation, the commission had asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to provide two officials for assistance, but the agency sent an application to the Interior Ministry over the request which was turned down, the report added.
Riaz’s counsel Zahid Bukhari has been criticising the formation of the commission, headed by Shoaib Suddle, and has maintained that Suddle has family connections with Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and should not be allowed to investigate.
A two-member special bench of the court will review the commission’s report and will hear the case later today.
The Suddle Commission investigating the Arsalan Iftikhar case has submitted an interim investigation report in the Supreme Court on Monday explaining reasons behind the submission delay, reported Express News.
The report said that the commission could not meet its given deadline because of lack of cooperation from business tycoon Malik Riaz and the Interior Ministry. It also expressed displeasure over IG Islamabad not sending a notice to Riaz as ordered.
The commission has also asked Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to give details of bank accounts and tax statements of all respondents in the case. In the report, the commission has also requested for 30 more days from the apex court to investigate the case further.
During the investigation, the commission had asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to provide two officials for assistance, but the agency sent an application to the Interior Ministry over the request which was turned down, the report added.
Riaz’s counsel Zahid Bukhari has been criticising the formation of the commission, headed by Shoaib Suddle, and has maintained that Suddle has family connections with Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and should not be allowed to investigate.
A two-member special bench of the court will review the commission’s report and will hear the case later today.