Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Thursday lashed out at Malik Riaz, the real estate tycoon and also alleged the PPP government for using him against the judiciary. "Malik Riaz is a 'tout' of President Zardari and the PPP leadership is using him against the judiciary", he made these allegations while talking to media persons outside Parliament House.
He said that the Malik Riaz was being used to malign and humiliate the judiciary, especially Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, He claimed that Malik Riaz was mere "pawn" of a conspiracy devised by President Asif Ali Zardari to malign the Chief Justice, adding "he (Riaz) should be behind the bars for his contradictory statements, who have staged a 'drama' for the last several days. "He even cannot breathe without Zardari's consent", he maintained. He also alleged that President Zardari has provided unlawful privileges.
He further said that there should be no doubt that Riaz was being used as launching pad in the conspiracy against the judiciary, which according to him was well-planned. He, however, added that justice should be done with Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry if he was guilty. He claimed that Arsalan case was already planned and President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani were feeling danger of the court's verdicts in the cases against them.
At the same time, he said that it should also be investigated that who else has been taking money and other benefits from him (Riaz). He also lashed out at Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and dubbed him as unlawful and convicted prime minister and vowed that the opposition would not let him sit in the house peacefully.
He said that it was a defining moment and the government was in a state of worrisome due to its incompetence and the unprecedented corruption, adding that performance of the government was now touching the limits of "insanity" and the rulers want to make a mockery of the constitutional institution. The leader of the opposition also called upon the political forces, civil society to come forward to safeguard the institutions. "Time has reached that there should be an end to the dirty politics in the country", he added.