Lahore (26 September 2011) On account of the investigating officer in the NICL case Additional Director General FIA, Zafar Qureshi’s absence and on FIA’s request to allow another 15 days to complete the challan the District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem in the capacity of Special Judge Banking Court has adjourned the hearing till October 3. According to the learned judge, on the FIA’s failure to complete the challan by October 3 the acquittal petition of Moonis Elahi will automatically will come up for hearing. Calling it an act amounting to contempt and blackmailing of the court, Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyers Rai Bashir Ahmad and Amjad Parvez strongly opposed Zafar Qureshi’s letter asking the court for another 15 days to complete the NICL case challan.
Never in the country’s judicial history has any court given as much time and latitude to the prosecution as in this case, said Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyers. They further said that there was nothing new in the supplementary challan and even if for argument’s sake the challan was considered correct it still did not implicate Moonis Elahi. They said that the learned court could give as much time to the FIA as it desired but meanwhile their client should be honourably acquitted. The lawyers contended that neither a prosecutor had been appointed and nor had the final challan been submitted. They accused Zafar Qureshi of misguiding the court by asking for immunity from court appearance due to a self claimed threat to his life.
They said that Zafar Qureshi’s personal or official issues could not be the reason for denial of justice to Moonis Elahi. The lawyers said that Zafar Qureshi was protected by the rangers and he daily went to his office and the Supreme Court. They alleged Zafar Qureshi for attempting to create an atmosphere whereby he could get a job extension and continue investigating the NICL case. They further said that except for Zafar Qureshi all the other FIA officials were present in the court and Moonis Elahi despite serious threats to his life was also present. Will Moonis Elahi wait for 5 years in jail if the FIA failed to appoint a prosecutor for so long and will the courts take dictates from the FIA, they asked?
Moonis Elahi’s lawyers also said that Zafar Qureshi was demanding 5 lacs to 1 million as professional fee to the prosecutor. They said that this was an internal matter of the FIA but obstructing the course of justice on such a lame excuse was as an act of criminal injustice. Lawyers demanded the court to reject all the fabricated stories presented by Zafar Qureshi and asked the court to honourably acquit Moonis Elahi.
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