Moonis Elahi not getting entitled legal relief: S.M. Zaffar

Courts independent in meting out justice uninfluenced by NICL case hearing in the SC: (Supreme Court)

(Islamabad, May 21, 2011) The 3 member Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has observed that courts where Moonis Elahi case is being heard are entirely independent to proceed with the matter in accordance with law and without being influenced in any manner from the NICL case proceedings in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Mr. Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Mr. Justice Ghulam Rabbani passed this order in response to the petition filed by President Pakistan Muslim League, Senator Chaudhry Shujat Hussain.  Mr. S.M. Zafar, Mr. Waseem Sajjad and Dr. Khalid Ranjha appeared in the case as his legal counsels.

Mr. S.M. Zafar as the senior counsel stated that on account of the pendency of the matter before the Supreme Court, Moonis Elahi was not getting the legal relief he was entitled for.

The learned bench of the Supreme Court in its written order observed that notwithstanding any controversy with regards to the interim or final status of the challan, the learned courts hearing the matter were entirely independent in their proceedings. The learned bench further observed that if the legal relief was sought for, during hearing, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner would be free to raise any argument available including that the amount had been recovered or not.