The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued directives to National Accountability Bureau to stop the probe into alleged business deals between Chief Justice's son Dr Arsalan Iftikhar and real estate tycoon Riaz Hussain Malik for three days to make the investigation transparent.
A two-member bench of Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing a review petition filed by Dr Arsalan Iftihkar. Prosecutor General NAB K. K. Agha requested the court to form a larger bench. The bench observed that the probe into the alleged scam was being suspended for three days with a view to ensuring that there was no unfair practice in the investigation. Justice Khawaja remarked: "It's beyond one's understanding that why the NAB whose task is to submit investigation report, is praying for constitution of a larger bench".
Agha contended that earlier in PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif's case in a review matter the Supreme Court had constituted a larger bench. Therefore, he added, his request was not unprecedented. Sardar Ishaq, the counsel for Arsalan Iftikhar, told the bench that Attorney General for Pakistan's impartiality was in question in the instant matter.
During the course of hearing, a CCTV footage released in the courtroom showed that SSP Rural Islamabad Faisal Memon, a member of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in the case, was extending protocol to Riaz when the latter appeared in the Supreme Court on June 12. Opposing court's ruling, Zahid Bukhari, the counsel for Riaz, and PG NAB Agha alleged that the counsel for Dr Arsalan had been given an undue favour.
After rejecting the NAB's plea to constitute a larger bench to hear the review petition, the bench sought written explanation from Secretary Interior and SSP Islamabad Rural in the matter on the next date of hearing. Later, the hearing was adjourned till August 2.
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