Iftikhar Chaudhry terms son-in-law's arrest in housing scam as govt's propaganda

Published September 27, 2018
Former chief justice of Pakistan Chaudhry Iftikhar. — Photo/File
Former chief justice of Pakistan Chaudhry Iftikhar. — Photo/File

Former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Thursday denied any involvement in the Eden Housing or Bahria Housing scams, claiming that his son-in-law had not been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) but the Interpol.

"FIA has nothing to do with the case," he said.

The son-in-law of former chief justice, Murtaza Amjad, was arrested from Dubai on Wednesday in a case regarding the multi-billion Eden Housing Society scam, in what Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry described as a "breakthrough".

Iftikhar Chaudhry insisted that Amjad had nothing to do with the Eden Housing scam as "he holds Canadian citizenship and does not come to Pakistan". He alleged that the PTI government was "spreading propaganda" against him because he had challenged Prime Minister Imran Khan's election in court.

The former chief justice further said that the high courts in Islamabad and Peshawar had already issued notices to PM Khan and he was also considering to file a disqualification case against the premier in an election tribunal.

Terming Fawad Chaudhry's claims — who said the former CJP had given "relief" to the owners of the housing society because they were the in-laws of his daughter — as lies and warned that he would file a case against the minister under Article 62.

He attacked the government's austerity drive, saying that "the country cannot be run by selling clothes, cutlery, and buffaloes".

"Those who claimed that they will not beg for loans are now looking forward to negotiations with the International Monetary Fund," he said.

He also accused the courts for adopting a "lenient approach" towards former president Pervez Musharraf who was facing a treason case.

Opinion

Editorial

Border clashes
19 May, 2024

Border clashes

THE Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier has witnessed another series of flare-ups, this time in the Kurram tribal district...
Penalising the dutiful
19 May, 2024

Penalising the dutiful

DOES the government feel no remorse in burdening honest citizens with the cost of its own ineptitude? With the ...
Students in Kyrgyzstan
Updated 19 May, 2024

Students in Kyrgyzstan

The govt ought to take a direct approach comprising convincing communication with the students and Kyrgyz authorities.
Ominous demands
Updated 18 May, 2024

Ominous demands

The federal government needs to boost its revenues to reduce future borrowing and pay back its existing debt.
Property leaks
18 May, 2024

Property leaks

THE leaked Dubai property data reported on by media organisations around the world earlier this week seems to have...
Heat warnings
18 May, 2024

Heat warnings

STARTING next week, the country must brace for brutal heatwaves. The NDMA warns of severe conditions with...