Supreme Court of Pakistan has observed that court would decide on Thursday that how to proceed further into the matter, adding that Malik Riaz has tried to purchase the justice by giving money to Arslan Iftikhar.
A two-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice jawad S
Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain heard the Arsalan Iftikhar suo
moto case on Tuesday. Both Malik Riaz and Arsalan Iftkhar were present
in the court along with their counsels.
During the course of hearing the concise statement were presented
before the court on the behalf of Bahria Town and Malik Riaz. And court
took attendance of Malik Riaz and his son Ali Ahmed Riaz.
During proceedings, Justice Jawwad SKhawaja remarked that if he could
not defend the allegations leveled against the institution, there was
no point in him being part of the Supreme Court.
To this, Riaz’s counsel Zahid Bukari said that it seemed like the
Supreme Court had made up its mind to which Justice Khawaja replied that
his mind would not be made up until he signed on the court order.
Zahid Bukhari also said that his client had been given no exceptions
by the Supreme Court as Malik Riaz’s record had been summoned from the
FBR along with other institutions, while no records of Arsalan Iftikhar
were summoned.
Bukhari also put forward three options for the Supreme Court. Bukhari
said that the Supreme Court should form a larger bench to hear the
case. The second option put forward by Bukhari was that a commission
similar to the one which probed the memo scandal be formed, while the
third option states that the court should send the case to an
investigation agency.
Earlier on Tuesday, Malik Riaz submitted a statement to the SC which
claimed that Rs 342.50 million were spent on Dr Arsalan Iftikhar’s three
foreign tours.
The statement added that Dr Arsalan claimed that he could settle the
cases fought in his father’s court in favour of Bahria Town, however
this did not happened.
Meanwhile during hearing in SC, Malik Riaz confessed that he has not
given any direct money to Arsalan, adding all money was given to Arsalan
by his son-in-law Salman Ahmed; during hearing Justice Jawwad Khawaja
remarked that there is no proof of direct payment of Riaz to Arsalan,
adding court want to react at the bottom of case, adding no one to be
allowed to influence judiciary.
Malik Riaz said in his statement that denial by Dr. Arslan is
absolutely incorrect and against the facts, adding that Dr Arslan has
admitted the numbers of facts in his concise statement, which are also
relied by me and shall be referred at proper juncture. He has to count
for the admissions and confessions made by him.
Malik said that court may not consider concise statement as final and
conclusive and I reserve my right to put up the details and further
incriminating evidences at subsequent juncture before this august court
or competent authority.
Khilji Arif observed that “I should not say this but I have to say that “Malik Riaz tried to purchase justice through money.
Meanwhile the counsel for Arslan said that court may constitute the
judicial commission to probe into the matter, adding that media trail of
Arslan Iftikhar should come to end. Justice Jawwad remarked that only
courts can do trail not media.
The counsel for Malik Riaz objected on the argument of judicial commission by Arslan’s counsel.
Later Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of the Arsalan Iftikhar suo moto case till 14th June. SANA
