Ch. Shujaat Hussain accepts Nawaz Sharif's debate challenge in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD (INP) - PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has accepted the challenge by the PML-N to debate in the National Assembly the corruption allegations against Moonis Elahi. Since the deal between Warraich family and the NICL had been cancelled, there was no substance in the propaganda launched by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif against Moonis Elahi, he said. 

In an exclusive interview with INP news agency, Shujaat said the PML-Q had not been provided any opportunity to be heard properly at any forum which was against the principles of justice. 

He said since day one, they were clear indications that this campaign had been launched by the Sharif family. “Now their claim to debate the issue in the National Assembly will unmask their real face.” 

“The propaganda against Moonis was so strong and well-planned that no court was ready to listen to the version of my family,” Shujaat said, adding: “But the PML-N’s claim to debate the issue in parliament would also provide us an opportunity to establish facts against the fiction.”
Shujaat argued how justice could be done if the defendant was not properly heard and only fiction had been preferred to facts.



 
About his party’s alliance with the ruling PPP, he said his party was looking for a long-term strategic partnership with the PPP and despite some difficulties, it would opt for seat adjustments with the ruling party in next elections

NICL Scam and the innocence of Moonis Elahi

Banking Court Judge on Moonis Elahi’s acquittal request unexpectedly sends case to LHC

Unprecedented partiality shown by the learned judge

We have full faith in LHC Chief Justice: Moonis Elahi’s Lawyers

Lahore (05-07-2011) During the hearing of the acquittal petition of Moonis Elahi the senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League in the NICL case today the Banking Court Judge Abdul Rasheed unexpectedly refused to further hear the case and sent it to Chief Justice Lahore High Court. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers expressing their strong dissatisfaction on this decision said that the law had not been followed and the learned judge before taking the decision neither heard their arguments nor considered the superior courts’ earlier judgments that had been put before him.

At the outset of the hearing which instead of morning began at 2pm Moonis Elahi’s lawyers requested the learned judge to take into account the fact that all the eight prosecution witnesses and the FIA’s Investigating Officer had testified to Moonis Elahi’s innocence. Later talking to the media Moonis Elahi’s lawyers Rai Bashir Ahmad and Amjad Parvez said that the attitude of the learned judge from the beginning of the proceedings was inflexible and a test of their nerves. They said that today the learned court was to hear Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition filed under CRPC 249/A and as a guide line they had also presented the Supreme Court and High Court decisions in this regard as references but the learned judge started putting new questions to Mohammad Maalik instead. On being pointed out that questioning Mohammad Maalik was outside the scope of the acquittal petition the learned judge angrily closed the file and declared that he didn’t want to hear the case and was sending it to Chief Justice, Lahore High Court, said Moonis Elahi’s lawyers. They said that the lawyers had sacrificed their lives and well being for the supremacy of the judiciary but the learned judge’s demeanour today nullified these sacrifices. Moonis Elahi’s lawyers said that the partial behaviour demonstrated by the learned judge today was unprecedented. They said that the learned court could see that the case had clearly gone in Moonis Elahi’s favour and that the FIA had failed to prove his involvement. In this situation there was no other recourse available to the court but to acquit Moonis Elahi, opined the lawyers. It will be a matter of honour if the Lahore High Court Chief Justice hears the case as we have full confidence in him, the lawyers added.

Throughout today’s proceedings a very large number of PML workers and Moonis Elahi supporters remained outside the court and continued to chant slogans in their leader’s favour.

Moonis Elahi files acquittal appeal in Banking Court

LAHORE: PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi on Friday filed an application in the Banking Offences Court under Section 249-A CrPC, seeking his acquittal in the NICL case. 

As per Section 249-A of CrPC, a court can acquit an accused at any stage of the case, if, after hearing the prosecutor and the accused and for reasons to be recorded, it considers that the charges are groundless or that there is no probability of the accused being convicted of any offence.

On Friday, the counsel of Moonis submitted an application in the court contending that all the prosecution witnesses in the scam against Moonis had denied recording of any statement against his client. He said that the trial was a wastage of time both for the court as well as his client as prosecution had failed to level charges against his client. He said that his client was innocent and was implicated only on political grounds.

Previously, eight prosecution witnesses while recording their statements before a magisterial court of Irfan Basra had denied recording of any statement as witness before the FIA. Before the banking court, they had denied opening of any account by Moonis Elahi’s manager Muhammad Maalik and stated that the accounts in question were personally opened and operated by two individuals, namely Adil Manzur and Khadim Rasul.

3 more witnesses deny recording statements against Moonis Elahi

Lahore (June 28, 2011) The remaining three prosecution witnesses presented by the FIA today in Lahore Banking Court in the NICL case like the five other prosecution witnesses have also refuted the charges leveled against senior Pakistan Muslim League Leader Moonis Elahi. Earlier during the proceedings the cashier of UBL, Airport Branch, Lahore Safdar Ali testifying before the Honorable Judge Malik Abdur Raheed stated that it was Adil Manzoor who had come to the bank with a cheque and taken the money. He further stated that the FIA had summoned him on Feb-05 where he had not recorded any statement. 

The second prosecution witness was ABL, Multan Road Branch Vice President Maroor-ur-Rehman who stated that a man named Khadim Rasool had himself come to the bank and opened the account. He further stated that it was Khadim Rasool who later brought a cheque and took the cash. During investigation I was summoned by the FIA but I had not given any statement to them, testified the ABL Vice President. The third prosecution witness Hafiz Shahid Bilal the cashier at ABL Multan Road Branch also testified that it was only Khadim Rasool who used to come to the branch with cheques for encashment and he had given Khadim Rasool money after his identification. Both the bank cashiers informed the court that they could recognize Adil Manzoor and Khadim Rasool. On the Honorable Judge’s query Hafiz Junaid Shahid after looking at the individuals present in the court room testified that none of them was Khadim Rasool. The bank cashiers also stated that money was only handed over to M/s Adil Manzoor and Khadim Rasool after checking their National Identification cards. After the witnesses’ statements the Honorable Judge adjourned the court hearing till July-5. Earlier Moonis Elahi was brought amid heavy security to the Banking Court where a large number of Pakistan Muslim League’s workers and Moonis Elahi supporters had assembled to express solidarity with him.