islamabad - The Islamabad High Court yesterday turned down a petition seeking the details of the money trail of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq conducted the hearing of the petition as an objection case and dismissed the same by sustaining the objections of the registrar office.
In this matter, Registrar Office of the IHC had raised some objections over the petition saying that the petitioner can avail alternate remedy before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and further said that the drafting of this writ petition is offensive.
The petition was moved by a lawyer Anwar Dar through his counsel Inam-ur-Rahim Advocate and cited the Federation of Pakistan through Secretary Finance Division, Security & Exchange Commission of Pakistan through its Chairman, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Secretary Pakistan Bar Council as respondents.
The petitioner stated that he was shocked when he came across a news report published in the newspapers dated August 8, 2016, and the same was widely circulated in the national and social media forums.
The press report disclosed that apart from politicians, retired generals, a senior sitting judge of Lahore High Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah also got a loan of Rs694.506 million and got it written off as Managing Director of Mansoor Textile Mills and Aaj Textiles during 2004, which was neither controverted nor withdrawn till to date.
“That the applicant obtained from the Senate a list of loan defaulters submitted by Finance Ministry wherein it has been revealed that Chief Justice LHC Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, son of Jamat Ali Shah, got the loans of Rs506.694 million written off when he was looking after his family business as Director/shareholder Aaj Textile Mills and Mansoor Textile Mills,” said the petitioner.
He continued that the LHC Chief Justice in the media categorically denied it saying that he had disassociated himself from his family business for the last 30 years whereas the Justice Mansoor is still looking after his family business till date in the capacity of the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court.
Anwar added that the LHC Chief Justice through a press release announced that he held properties at Lahore, Islamabad and Dubai, however, he has not declared the money trail for the purchase of above said property at Dubai and when he had so many valuable properties then why he got monetary aid from the Government of Punjab for the treatment of his son.
Therefore, he prayed to the court to issue direction to the Respondent No 1 & 4 to provide information regarding details of all the loans obtained and thereafter written off by his lordship Justice Mansoor Ali Shah as director/shareholder/beneficiary of his business of Mansoor Textile Mills, Aaj Textile Mills, Universal Oil & Vegetable Ghee Mills Ltd and any other industrial unit.
He also prayed to the court to issue a direction to the Respondent No 2 to provide information regarding the period during which Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remained director and beneficiary of Mansoor Textile Mills, Aaj Textile Mills and Universal Oil & Vegetable Ghee Mills Ltd and any other industrial unit.
The petitioner requested the court to issue further direction to the respondents No 3 & 4 to provide complete money trail of the LHC Chief Justice that when the amount was transferred from Pakistan to Dubai for purchase of property and when reflected in the income tax return and detail of income tax returns for the period from 1985 to 2010.
He further requested the court to issue a direction to the Respondents No.5 to provide the complete record of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah as an advocate and the date/period during which he had his license suspended if any.
