Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Arsalan Iftikhar case: Malik Riaz deposes before Supreme Court
Islamabad: A much awaited testimony before the Supreme Court by
real estate tycoon Malik Riaz said more than Rs 340 million were spent
on the foreign sojourns of Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, a son of Chief Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, in a bid to settle cases against the Bahria
Town being heard in the court of his father.
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Political party, secret agencies behind Arsalan case: “Typographical error” in Malik Riaz statement
ReplyDeleteIslamabad: A dreadful “typographical error” was found in the written statement of real state tycoon Malik Riaz in Arsalan Iftikhar case on Tuesday.
Perhaps he wanted to say that no political party or secret agency was behind the case against Arsalan Iftikhar but the statement said political party and secret agencies prompted him to do so.
Malik Riaz submitted an eighty-page statement to the apex court, accusing Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, a son of Chief Justice of Pakistan, of receiving heavy amounts from his son-in-law and blackmailing.
However, Zahid Bokhari, lawyer for Malik Riaz clarified the clerical mistake and said it was meant to say “nobody prompted me “.
Malik Riaz Releases Evidence against Dr Arsalan Iftikhar
ReplyDeleteDocuments available with Newsweek Pakistan, however, show that Hussain’s son-in-law Salman Ahmed Khan, who is based in London, covered Arsalan and his family’s summer visits to the U.K. in 2011 and 2010 by spending some £40,000 on flats and hotel rooms in Central London and on luxury car rentals. Khan may also have sponsored Arsalan and his friends’ airfare and five-star stay in Monte Carlo two years ago. The documents also include Arsalan’s Pakistani passport copy (No. AM4194022), U.K. visa (No. UK358685N) and international driver’s permit (LE-10-1605-INT).
Arsalan Iftikhar, the son of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, signed the tenancy agreement for Flat 18, 68 North Row, London W1K 7DU, which was paid for by Salman Ahmed, the son-in-law of Malik Riaz.
In 2011, Arsalan stayed in Room No. 2413 at the London Hilton Park Lane from March 25 to April 3, and the £4,778.96 tab was picked up by Hussain’s son-in-law Khan.
On Arsalan’s second visit to the U.K. the same year, he signed a short-term lease with Copperstones Limited to rent the two-bedroom Flat No. 18 at 68, North Row, London. But the advance payment of £17,342 to Copperstones was made by Khan, from his personal account on June 14 and June 17, according to the documents. After the lease ran out, Arsalan and his family, including his mother and siblings, moved into two rooms, including Room No. 231, at the nearby London Marriott Hotel Park Lane for two nights. When Arsalan and his family checked out, Khan used his Visa card to settle the bill of £3,376.80. During this trip, Khan also paid £4,800 to Theoco Limited on Church Lane to cover the four-week rental of a Range Rover Sport (license No. GU59NUK). Invoice No. 0174 dated June 20, 2011, issued by the rental company bears Arsalan’s signature; the payment was made by Khan through wire transfer three days earlier on June 17.
The year before that, Arsalan rented a Range Rover Sport (license No. HSTLA08UBC) for five weeks from the same car company; again, Khan paid £3,000 for this vehicle on June 29 and another £2,348.31 on July 6 through personal checks against invoice No. 0089 dated July 3. Khan also purchased, through credit card, three roundtrip British Air tickets from London to Nice. The reservation details mention the three passengers as Arsalan Iftikhar, Ahmad Khalil and Sana Hanfi. According to the reservation document, the passengers were booked to fly out on July 25 and return on July 29. Additional documents of that trip show that Khan also booked two rooms for four nights for the three at Monte Carlo’s five-star Hotel de Paris. Khan wired the hotel €5,200 (£4,199.64) through wire transfer on July 21, 2010.
Additional documents supporting Hussain’s claims that a total of Rs. 342.50 million was paid to Arsalan are not available with Newsweek Pakistan.
In his affidavit, Hussain reiterates that he was being “blackmailed” by the chief justice’s son and was forced into going public. He has disavowed the involvement of the ruling party or the Army—he has close contacts with both—from his actions.
Hussain’s revelations may put paid to Arsalan’s claims in court and to the press. Speaking to The News, an English-language Pakistani daily, Arsalan said his construction and telecom businesses were “valued” at Rs. 900 million ($9.89 million), employ 400 people, and that while he had been asked through a common friend to speak in favor of Bahria Town to his father, he simply chose not to. He says his foreign trips cost Rs. 5 million, an amount he subsequently reimbursed to a friend not linked directly with Bahria Town. Arsalan also claimed that his friend spotted him because he had not wanted to carry so much cash around. He has acknowledged that he spent £12,000 on flat rent in 2010 and £14,000 last summer.
Malik Riaz asks three questions from Chief Justice
ReplyDeleteISLAMABAD: Holding the Holy Qura'n in his hand, real estate tycoon Malik Raiz Tuesday opened a Pandora's Box by quizzing Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on three counts during a press conference here.
"Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry should reveal how many meetings have held between him and CJ in the darkness of night? Was Arsalan Iftikhar not a part of these meetings, does he not know me? The sitting Registrar was also present during several of these meetings."
Secondly, he asked: "How many meetings were held at the residence of Ahmed Khalil between the Chief Justice and Prime Minister and was there not an acting judge of the Supreme Court present during one of the meetings?"
"How long did the Chief Justice know about this case and why did he wait till media reports to take suo moto notice," Malik Riaz posed the third question.
Malik Riaz met Chief Justice when he was deposed: SC Registrar
ReplyDeleteISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Registrar Faqir Hussain said Tuesday that Malik Riaz had met with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry when he was deposed. Hussain added that two to three such meetings had taken place during which he too was present.
The Supreme Court Registrar further said that Malik Riaz had proposed that the Chief Justice meet with President Asif Ali Zardari. While speaking to Geo News, Hussain said that the Chief Justice declined to meet with President Zardari in regards to his restoration because it would be inappropriate.
According to Faqir Hussain the Chief Justice held no meetings with Malik Riaz after his restoration.
Imran Khan says will stand by Supreme Court of Pakistan
ReplyDeleteKarachi: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that he will standby the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Khan said that conspiracies against the apex court were being hatched for the last few years.
Khan’s statement comes a day after property tycoon Malik Riaz levelled serious allegations against Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Political analysts say the allegations against the country’s top judge are the part of a conspiracy to maintain status quo.
Moreover, lawyers fraternity have condemned the allegations leveled by property tycoon Malik Riaz against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in a press conference on Tuesday.
In separate meetings Islamabad High Court Bar Association and Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa Bar Association expressed solidarity with the chief justice and pledged to launch a movement against those who are conspiring against the Supreme Court.
SC issues contempt notice to Malik Riaz
ReplyDeleteMalik Riaz during a press conference claimed that he never got favourable decisions from SC.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo moto notice of the press conference held by real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and issued a contempt notice against him.
Earliar, an informal meeting of SC judges was held at the chamber of Chief Justice in Islamabad this morning. The meeting which lasted for nearly an hour was reportedly attended by 12 apex court judges.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had directed the SC Registrar to produce record of Malik Riaz s press conference.
Malik Riaz - the developer of Bahria Town - on Tuesday leveled horrendous allegations against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, in his row with the son of the chief justice, Dr Arsalan Iftikhar.
Malik Riaz accused Dr Arsalan Iftikhar of receiving Rs 342 million to win favourable decisions in the pending cases.
سپریم کورٹ کے چیف جسٹس میاں شاکر اللہ جان کی سربراہی میں جسٹس طارق پرویز اور جسٹس امیر ہانی مسلم پر مشتمل تین رکنی بینچ نے از خود نوٹس کی سماعت کی. سماعت کے دوران جسٹس شاکر اللہ جان نے ملک ریاض کی پریس کانفرنس کا متن پڑھا. سماعت کے دوران میاں شاکر اللہ جان کا کہنا تھا کہ ملک ریاض کی پریس کانفرنس توہین عدالت کے مترادف ہے. ان کا کہنا تھا کہ ملک ریاض نے پریس کانفرنس کر کے عدلیہ کی توہین کی. واضع رہے کہ چیف جسٹس افتخار محمد چودھری نے ملک ریاض کی گزشتہ روز کی جانے والی پریس کانفرنس پر از خود نوٹس لیتے ہوئے مقدمے کی سماعت کےلیے تین رکنی بینچ تشکیل دے تھا۔ ذرائع کے مطابق ملک ریاض کو توہین عدالت کا نوٹس جاری کرتے ہوئے سپریم کورٹ میں ایک بار پھر طلب کر لیا گیا ہے۔ چیف جسٹس افتخار چودھری نے آج صبح سپریم کورٹ کے گیارہ ججوں پرمشتمل غیر رسمی اجلاس میں ملک ریاض کی پریس کانفرنس کی ویڈیو طلب کی تھی۔ سپریم کورٹ نے اسلام آباد ہائی کورٹ بار ایسوسی ایشن کے سابق صدر چودھری اشرف گجرکی وہ درخواست بھی سماعت کےلیے منظور کرلی ہے جس میں انہوں نے ملک ریاض کے خلاف توہین عدالت کی کارروائی کی استدعا کی تھی۔ اشرف گجرکی درخواست کی سماعت بھی آج ازخود نوٹس کی سماعت کے ہمراہ ہوگی۔ کیس کی سماعت کل تک کےلئے ملتوی کر دی گئی ہے.
Dunya Special (Malik Riaz First Exclusive Interview) with Mubashir Luqman & Mehar Bhukhari – 13th June 2012
ReplyDeletehttp://www.zemtv.com/2012/06/13/dunya-special-malik-riaz-first-exclusive-interview-with-mubashir-luqman-mehar-bhukhari-13th-june-2012/
Supreme Court orders action against Arsalan Iftikhar, Malik Riaz, Salman Ahmed
ReplyDeleteIslamabad: The Supreme Court has issued short order in Arsalan Iftikhar case, ruling that Malik Riaz tried to buy justice through bribes which is an offense under law.
The court ordered the Attorney General Pakistan to take strict action against Arsalan Iftikhar, Malik Riaz and his son of law Salman Ahmed.
The court rejected plea of Zahid Bokhari of forming a commission to probe the case or handing it over to an investigation agency.
The order was given by a division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khuwaja and Justice Khilji Arfi hussain.
“Both who give or take bribe are sinners,Malik Riaz tried to buy justice through bribes which is an offense”.
In the order, the court said that while Malik Riaz claimed Rs327 million was given in cash, the documents presented only provided details of Arsalan’s visits and no proof of monetary transfers.
Malik Riaz admitted that he did not succeed in his efforts despite spending money.The order further stated that Riaz did not submit any statement on behalf of his son-in-law Salman
The court said that transparent trial was the basic right of Arsalan Iftikhar, Salman Ahmed and Malik Riaz
In the order, the court stated that the media had attacked the judiciary, adding that the statements of journalists showed that they did not try to get their facts straight
Justice Khuwaja said The News editor Shaheen Sehbai disclosed that chief justice would be targeted.
The SC ruled that the media was holding the national hostage on the basis of baseless information. The short order noted that media should not let itself use by those who doesn’t respect the Constitution.