Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court today took notice of allegations levelled against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry by a real estate tycoon at the centre of a corruption scandal involving the top judge’s son and sought a record of the businessman’s news conference.
Malik Riaz Hussain, the founder of the Bahria Town real estate firm, had alleged at the news conference yesterday that the Chief Justice was aware of the scam involving his son for six months but took no action. He further alleged that the Chief Justice’s son, Arsalan Iftikhar, was running the judiciary like a “don”.
All the judges of the apex court gathered in the Chief Justice’s chamber this morning to discuss the tycoon’s allegations. Subsequently, Registrar Faqir Hussain was directed to obtain the record of the news conference.
The hearing of cases in the apex court began an hour behind schedule due to the meeting of the judges. TV news channels quoted their sources as saying that the judges had discussed the allegations levelled against the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice by the tycoon.
A meeting of all the judges of the Supreme Court is scheduled to be held on June 15 to discuss the issue involving the Chief Justice’s son and other matters, officials said.
Hussain addressed the news conference after appearing in the Supreme Court in connection with a suo motu case regarding payments allegedly made to the Chief Justice’s son to influence cases involving Bahria Town.
During the news conference, Hussain contended that he had not paid any bribes but was “blackmailed” into making payments to the Chief Justice’s son. (PTI)