ISLAMABAD, July 26: Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, appeared before a Joint Investigation Team on Thursday but did not record his statement in connection with the graft case against him and raised objections against the JIT and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“Arsalan visited the NAB headquarters and sat before the JIT’s members more than two hours,” an official of the bureau told Dawn.

The NAB spokesman said Arsalan Iftikhar left the headquarters with an assurance that he would appear before the JIT whenever he was called.

Arsalan Iftikhar refused to record his statement and submitted written objections instead, alleging that the NAB, its chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari and the JIT were partial in the case.

“Levelling of baseless allegations against me in the media shows partiality of NAB and its officials and I have joined the investigation conditionally,” he said.

Arsalan Iftikhar said he had visited the NAB headquarters conditionally and if he did not get answers to his queries he would seek justice from a higher forum.

“Immediately withdraw the gross misrepresented allegations made against me in your notice and through print and electronic media, otherwise, I shall be within my rights to seek redressal of my genuine grievances from the appropriate forum provided by the law,” he said.

Arsalan Iftikhar said real estate tycoon Malik Riaz in his complaint had levelled false and malicious allegations against him which he had later contradicted. “Malik Riaz should place all original and direct evidence before the JIT and if then the JIT is of the opinion that evidence submitted by him requires further probe it should be forwarded to me for my response and submission of documentary and other evidence to rebut it. Any other procedure would be seriously flawed and a breach of my fundamental right to fair trial and due process as guaranteed by Article 10-A of the Constitution,” he said.

Arsalan Iftikhar said the law did not permit an investigation officer to force anyone to record his statement and no person should be unnecessarily detained.

REGISTRAR: Meanwhile, NAB decided to send a notice to the residence of Supreme Court Registrar Dr Faqir Hussain. The Supreme Court had observed on Thursday that the notice should be sent to his house and not to his office.

Dr Hussain had refused to appear before the JIT with an objection that he, being a grade 22 officer, could not be summoned by an officer of grade 18.