Thanks for publishing the clarification in Sunday's newspaper about writer's earlier remarks that he made about me in Business Recorder of 18th of June 2013. While issuing the above clarification the writer also included the following extract in the relevant news item:-
"The fact of the matter is that when a news item is prominently published or broadcast and is not subsequently denied it could be assumed to be correct in essence and could be commented upon as such. However in the matter of whether Irfan Qadir was a PCO judge, I think I should have used the usual "allegedly" prefix and not stated the comment as an established fact. About the "obstruction" subject I wish to point out that on several occasions reports have appeared in both the print media and on TV about certain words and gestures used by then AG Irfan Qadir while cases were in progress in the Supreme Court which rankled the judges and led to altercations between them and the AG. I can, but would not like to quote those here."
As regards the above extract, I may make it clear that I refuted having made the aforesaid words or gestures before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court itself at the earliest possible opportunity ie the very next day of the publication thereof in electronic media. The bench comprised of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Justice Jawad Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain. These so-called words or gestures attributed to me were alleged to have been made in front of the aforesaid bench and as such the aforesaid bench was the most relevant forum for refuting these remarks. All the three judges acquiesced to my refutation whereafter further arguments in the case qua disqualification of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were heard by the Supreme Court.
The writer is Former Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP)