ISLAMABAD - Objecting to the August 8 Press release, Zahid Bukhari, counsel for Malik Riaz, said it was against the apex court’s August 2 order in which it was directed that inquiry would remain stay.
SC Public Relations Officer (PRO) on August 8 had issued a press release that a false and deliberately misleading impression appeared to have been created in some segments of the media relating to the stay of inquiry by the Supreme Court in the case involving possible wrong doing on the part of Malik Riaz Hussain, Dr Arsalan and Salman Ali Khan, son-in-law of business tycoon.
Expressing concern over the Supreme Court’s registrar office attitude about Dr Arsalan case, Bukhari said issuance of the Press release in Arsalan case did not match to the status of SC’s registrar office.
The SC registrar office statement about the Chief Justice’s son case is contradictory with the court’s August 2 order, which is not attached with the August 8 Press release. The court had said in its August 2 order; “The proceedings in the inquiry are directed to remain stay until further orders by the court.”
On the other hand, SC PRO Shahid Kamboyo admitted his mistake by saying that the court’s August 2 order about the stay in inquiry could not be attached with the August 8 Press release but there was no malafide intention in this regard. Bukhari said his client Riaz had already raised the issue before the apex court that investigations should not be stopped after the statement of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prosecutor General KK Agha. He said though the NAB had removed the controversial members from the team, besides that the investigations had not started yet.
He said this impression was wrong that he wanted to delay hearing of the case for a long period of time, adding, actually he wanted quick justice of the case.
It is to be noted that during the hearing of Arsalan’s review petition, Zahid Bukhari had expressed serious concern over the SC registrar office for not listing his client’s civil miscellaneous applications before the bench. He also objected over the Supreme Court’s prolonged proceedings in chief justice’s son case and said that it was unfair that the court had been holding proceedings after regular court timing during Ramazan. Meanwhile, a senior NAB’s officer also objecting to the statement, issued by PRO on August 8 said NAB’s inquiry was stopped in view of the court’s August 2 order.
Legal experts urge the SC to avoid issuing contradictory Press releases about CJ’s son case; otherwise it would affect the good image of the incumbent judiciary as well as hush up the credibility of Arsalan himself.
Advocate Faisal Hussain Chaudhry said he failed to understand that why the SC office needed to give explanation regarding a case, which was a matter between individuals as one of them, who happened to be son of chief justice.
He said the statement, carried out by some leading newspaper on August 9 was not accordance with the facts as the order attach with the press release was not one, in which stay on proceedings was granted. Learned counsel questioned that if proceedings in Moonis Elahi and Ali Musa Gilani were not stopped despite having similar contention, why this case was treated in a special way. He expressed hope that like Arsalan, Ali Musa’s apprehension towards ANF would be treated in a similar manner.