Malik Riaz-Arsalan case: SC registrar refuses to appear before JIT
Arsalan Iftikhar outside the Supreme Court. — Photo by Online
ISLAMABAD July 25: Following the refusal of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, to appear before a joint team investigating a case involving him and property tycoon Malik Riaz, SC Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain also declined on Wednesday to appear before the JIT.
Arsalan Iftikhar had earlier verbally refused to record his statement with the JIT, but on Wednesday he refused to receive a notice sent by the National Accountability Bureau asking him to appear before the JIT on July 26.
But, the JIT which was set up on the directives of the Supreme Court issued fresh notices to Dr Arsalan Iftikhar and Faqir Hussain to appear before it on July 26 (Thursday) and July 27 (Friday), respectively, a senior NAB official told Dawn.
“Dr Hussain was of the view that he was a Grade-22 officer and he could not comply with the notice served by a Grade-18 officer (investigation officer),” the official said.
“On their refusal to appear before the JIT, fresh notices have been sent to both of them,” he said.
Dr Arsalan Iftikhar refused to appear before the JIT and expressed no-confidence in it. He termed the JIT biased. Earlier, he claimed that he had not received any notice.
“We had asked the IG Punjab Police to serve the notice on Dr Arsalan at his company’s address in Lahore and, therefore, a policeman delivered the notice on Wednesday,” the official said.
A servant of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, who told the policeman that his boss was in Islamabad, received the notice. Earlier he contacted his boss who asked him not receive the notice.
NAB spokesman Zafar Iqbal said the JIT met on Wednesday and examined the response from Dr Faqir Hussain, Salman Ahmed (son-in-law of Malik Riaz) and Ahmed Khalil (a business partner of Mr Riaz) and discussed the future course of action to ensure the recording of statements of Salman Ahmed and Ahmed Khalil.
“The JIT also considered the report received from the Punjab Police that Dr Arsalan Iftikhar had refused to receive the notice,” he said.
The spokesman said the JIT would continue to hold its proceedings on Thursday and discuss all matters, including intentional and continuous non-appearance of certain individuals.
The JIT agreed to provide a reasonable opportunity to all persons for personal appearance before taking any action to ensure compliance of Section 19 of the NAB Ordinance.
Why they are prolonging it, if Arslan was not having faith on NAB, then he should refuse to accept the SC decission when it refers the case to NAB for investigation. after all he is the son of CJ…..
Come on Arslan, be nrave and face the reality and leave now the shelter of your father.
face the nusic now..
mr arslan is tying to find any reason to escape from this situation as he is unable to defend himself …
Why Mr Iftikhar not showing faith in JIT ? if he thinks all the allegations on him is fake so he should come and face every court and team to prove he is innocent as MR Riaz cooperating with SC
In the eyes of law, either a magistrate or Chief Justice, premier or president or registrar. No one should be proud to be an officer of any grade or any party, he is duty bound to appear before any court any time. Grade 22 officer and all above him may not have immunity of any kind, example being given in the parliament to negate the courts anyway.
For God sake respect the judidciary and not your grades only.
"SC Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain also declined on Wednesday to appear before the JIT."
This is the man the Police and Federal Investigation Authority need to put pressure on every day until they break him down. He is a GS 22 and the investigator is a GS 20 so he won't talk to him? This bureaucrat needs a lesson in good manners.
If "contempt of court" does not exist the nation cannot control the courts.
If the Rangers taught Dr. Hussein dying is better than living, the court would have his cooperation right away.
In other countries one does not appeal a contempt of court citation – he goes straight to a jail cell from the courtroom until he feels like answering the questions the judge has asked him.
There is no logic to this. One is not required to give evidence against himself, but as a citizen he is required to give evidence about the wrong doing of others he has knowledge of. If not he sits in a cell.
The rule of law means every body is equal before law. The PCO judges have been preaching this when it involved cases pertaining to President and PM. But here clearly the PCO uncles are trying their utmost to save their don nephew from the rule of Law. Mr. Faqir is privy to all the wheeling and dealing that went between the CJ, Arslan and Malik Riaz. That is whey he is being kept away from investigations.
Why Malik Riaz knowjng the reputation of indipendent judiciary, paid to bribe amount to Dr Arslan ? Is it aconspricy against judiciary? Why not investigation by a Federal Secretary?
If report goes against Arsalan he will be in jail so he is just ignoring nothing els
Now thats how a SC Registrar do to the honorable National Accountability Bureau order and threw it away, and this NAB had being restored by the SCP itself, So does that means the respected Registrar dont have trust on an National Organisation? Is this what we expect from a SC Representative of Grade-22..?
mr;arsalan is trying to escape from inquiry by giving various reasons if he is clean & clear whynt he is cooperating ?what will happen to him if report goes against him or he is found to be guilty,becoz he is a son wid golden (17) spoons.
This Is Not Matter That If Mr ARSALAN Is Clean & Clear Then Why He Is Not Cooperating,,,, Why This Govt Not Writting Letter To Swiss Authority. This Type Of Issues Are Created By The CURRENT To Get Public Invovelement ,,, And They Will Get More Time For More CURRUPTION, Dishonesty & More Crimes.
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