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Malik poses ‘explosive questions’ to CJ

ISLAMABAD — Malik Riaz, real estate tycoon and central character in scam involving Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice of Pakistan, on Tuesday claimed that he spent Rs342.50 million on Arsalan’s three foreign tours ostensibly to secure relief on several cases pending against him in the Supreme Court.

Malik filed his statement before two-member bench of the court while contending that Arsalan had promised that he would get favourable rulings from his father in his cases. His counsel Zahid Bukhari, however, admitted in response to court queries that Malik did not get any relief despite spending huge amount on CJ’s son.

In a dramatic move, however, Malik later posed three explosive questions to the Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry without elaborating but apparently insinuating that the chief of the apex court had been meeting him in the darkness of night.

Carrying a copy of the Holy Quran, Malik asked the CJ to tell the nation on oath how many meetings both of them had. He also referred to another meeting at the residence of one of his business partners and Arsalan’s friend, Ahmed Khalil, in which Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was also present.

He further wanted the chief justice to explain as to when did he come to know about Arsalan Iftikhar’s tours.

“The Chief Justice, for whom I have great respect, may be innocent but his son is running the judiciary as a don,” Malik remarked.

Malik said he built an empire in the name of Bahria Town from a scratch but was leaving it to spend an ordinary life. He reiterated that nobody from the PPP government including the president or the premier were behind his move to make public disclosures about the chief justice.

During the hearing earlier in the afternoon, Malik told the court that he was blackmailed by Arsalan and sought justice from the court. At this the presiding judge of the two-member bench, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja remarked: “Mr Malik you have tried to buy justice.”

The court adjourned the hearing till Thursday to take decisions on pleas made by both sides.

TV anchor Hamid Mir of Geo News who had also recorded evidence in the case, while commenting on Malik’s claim confirmed that Malik did meet the Chief Justice but during the period the latter had not been reinstated.

Mir said Malik tried to bargain with the chief justice on behalf of present government offering his reinstatement on condition that he would not revive the cases pardoned by Gen. Pervez Musharraf under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

He said the meeting at the residence of Ahmed Saleem was held last year on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. Arsalan had persuaded his father to go there and PM Gilani also dropped in. Both, CJ and the PM, only exchanged pleasantries and the CJ left immediately.

news@khaleejtimes.com