In a pre-election rigging attempt, the regime of President Asif Ali Zardari conspired to damage the independent judiciary in Pakistan that may not allow rigging in the forthcoming elections which are due some times later this year or early next year. The conspiracy was revealed by a renowned journalist, Shaheen Sehbai who said that Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry's family was trapped in the conspiracy by giving around Rs400 million ($4 million) by a business tycoon close to President Zardari.
Commenting on Sehbai's revelation, Haroon Rashid, a senior journalist told Dunya TV that he was not surprised by the trap plan because the unpopular and corrupt Zardari regime wants to win the next elections by hook or crook. He said that this is power politics.
The US client Zardari regime has been at odd with the Supreme Court of Pakistan under Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. It is now history that Zardari was reluctant to restore CJ Chaudhry who was sacked in March 2007 by President General Parwez Musharraf when he refused to bend. However, under intensive public pressure CJ Chaudhry was restored in March 2009 by Zardari regime which came into power under a US-brokered deal with his assassinated spouse, Benazir Bhutto, to share power with General Parwez Musharraf. Under the controversial deal all corruption cases, including money laundering cases in Switzerland, against Benazir and Zardari were withdrawn. Pakistan Supreme Court, in 2009, declared null and void this amnesty given through the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). Zardari regime is now fighting with the Supreme Court not to open money laundering cases against Zardari.
Shaheen Sehbai's interview
Not surprisingly, the Zardari regime decided to damage the image of CJ Chaudhry and a meticulous plan was hatched to bribe his son Arsalan Chaudhry, according to Shaheen Sehbai, Group Editor The News International. Chief Justice scam to trap story was disclosed by Shaheen Sehbai a 38 minute interview by the Washington Beat on YouTube on Monday.
Sehbai said "CJ's son was given up to Rs400 million (Approximately
$4 million) in a planned conspiracy. The conspiracy is now completed and can be brought to surface anytime."
According to Shaheen Sehbai CJ's son received millions of rupees plus sponsored
foreign trips with credit cards to be used abroad for him and his family from a
famous business tycoon of Pakistan. "There are quite a few people in Pakistan
whose earnings are in billions of rupees and who can easily invest in such
conspiracy plans. The person who I am referring to has relationships with
military and politicians likewise. Nowadays he is very close to government," he
added.
CJ
Iftikhar Chaudhry begins proceedings against son
On Wednesday Chief Justice Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry took a suo moto notice against his own son Arsalan Iftikhar and Bahria Town's Chairman Malik Riaz Hussain, following allegations leveled against them.
Before the start of the case hearing, Arsalan Iftikhar told reporters that he was innocent and that he had been told not to return home until a judgment was reached. His father, Iftikhar Chaudhry, heading the three-member bench said that if allegations against his son were proved true, he would be punished in accordance with the law.
During the hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir raised objection to the inclusion of Chaudhry on the bench hearing the case. The CJ responded by saying that the case was not of political nature and that he would not step down from the bench hearing the case.
Pakistan Supreme Court convicts PM for contemptThe Supreme Court of Pakistan created a major political storm in the country in April last when it adjudged Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani guilty of contempt of court, raising the possibility of his disqualification as a member of parliament and the head of government. The Prime Minister was given a token sentence, till the rising of the court - which was all over in less than a minute.
'After our satisfaction that the contempt committed by him is substantially detrimental to the administration of justice and tends to bring this court and the judiciary of this country into ridicule" Gilani" is found guilty of and convicted for contempt of court" for willful flouting, disregard and disobedience of this court's direction" He is, therefore, punished" with imprisonment till the rising of the court,' a short order issued by a seven-member bench of the Supreme Court said.
Gilani was summoned before the Pakistan Supreme Court on January 19 for failing to take steps to re-open money-laundering proceedings against President Asif Ali Zardari. He was indicted for contempt of court on February 13. The civilian-judicial confrontation stems from thousands of cases thrown out in 2007 under an amnesty ordered by former military president Pervez Musharraf, which paved the way for a return to civilian rule Zardari was the decree's most prominent beneficiary.
In 2009 the Supreme Court declared the law - National Reconciliation Ordinance - as null and void. The court also ordered the government to ask Swiss authorities to restart legal action against Zardari. The cases date back to the 1990s, when Zardari had multiple cases of corruption lodged against him, including accusations of money laundering using Swiss accounts.
It may be
recalled that in August 2003, a Swiss Court found former Pakistani Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto and her widower, Asif Zardari, guilty of money
laundering. Investigation Judge Daniel Devaud sentenced them to a six-month
suspended jail term, fined them $50,000 each and ordered they pay more than $2m
to the Pakistani Government along with a diamond necklace. The case was related
to an illegal six per cent of commission or bribe worth $12 million for
awarding a pre-shipment customs inspection contract to two Swiss firms Societe
Generale de Surveillance and Cotecna. The judge said they had illegally
deposited millions of dollars in accounts in Switzerland and ordered the money
be returned to Pakistan. The
Supreme Court wants the 60 million dollars in this account returned to the
country.
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