The illicit relationship between Ansar Abbasi and Ahmed Noorani

Ahmed Noorani is an Islamabad-based correspondent of The News, working under journalist-turned-taliban-spokesperson Ansar Abbasi aka Omro Ayyar. While because of his journalistic clout Omro Ayyar has not been charged so far for promoting extremism, his prodigy Chappan Churi however is allegedly a proclaimed offender for spreading sectarianism. Allah ne milaee jordi.

In April 2000, Bahawalpur’s Civil Lines Police registered a case against AhmedNoorani for violating section 144 CrPC, which was imposed to refrain miscreants from provoking sectarian sentiments in the area known as a hotbed of sectarian militancy.Noorani had plastered the walls of Islamia University of Bahawalpur with posters carrying objectionable slogans against some sects (see the police report).

Interestingly, the posters according to the police belonged to Noorani Institute of Scientific Education, run by none other than Ahmed Noorani when his age would not be more than 20 years. While his roohani baap Omro Ayyar is a dangerous person with his half knowledge, Chappan Churi was spreading sectarianism in the name of scientific education. Pardon us but we will have to say again “Allah ne milaee jordi“.

Chappan Churi was put behind the bars and later on bailed out. He, however, did not turn up to face the court of law and was consequently declared a proclaimed offender, a title he still holds. But, how one can touch him now when like Jeera Blade he is also taking refuge of a noble cause.

Although, spreading sectarian hatred has serious implications on a society at large but homicide is the most heinous crime in the eyes of law. Chappan Churi had reportedly also been involved in this crime.

In October 2001, Ahmed Noorani’s cousin Yousaf Noorani and his two initially unidentified accomplices shot and killed over a trivial matter a fellow Islamia University student Rasheed Ahmed at the doorsteps of Abu Bakar Hostel (see the FIR). Deceased’s brother Abdul Sattar was said to be an eyewitness who later identified the other two ‘culprits’, and one of them was Ahmed Noorani.

Abdul Sattar left no stone unturned to get included Ahmed Noorani’s name as one of the murderers, but all his efforts were defeated by Noorani’s chacha (paternal uncle) the infamous journalist Rehmat Ali raazi, who at that time was wielding ruthless powers as the provincial bureaucracy’s tout, courtesy the column he used to write for daily Jang. (It may be pertinent to mention here that the Jang Group’s management had to get rid of Raazi when was presented with volumes of his corruption).

Ahmed Noorani got away of the murder case scot free while his cousin YousafNoorani was handed down death sentence, which was later commuted to life imprisonment, again thanks to chacha Raazi.

But, the haunting ghost of deceased Rasheed Ahmed has made a person with criminal history to rub shoulders with the who is who in the country’s judicial system under the pretext of espousing a noble cause. The hidden agenda however is to remain scot free even while Chacha Raazi has lost his teeth and nails since being expelled from the powerful Jang Group.

…
Nazir Naji Abusing Journalist

http://pkpolitics.com/2009/04/19/nazir-naji-abusing-journalist/

AoA,

I am doing a story regarding illegal allotment of plots to some journalists by the federal government. For this I called Nazir Naji yesterday (Friday – 17th April 2009) to take his version. Afterwards he called me back two times and abused and threatened me in the words I never heard in my life. plz see his real face

Attached are the three audio recordings.

1st is my call to senior columnist Nazir for taking his version on illegal plot allotement to him in Islamabad despite the fact he already got plots in Lahore.

2nd and 3rd are the audio recordings in which Nazir Naji called me and threatened and abused in a languge I never heard through out my life. Please hear this and tell your viewers about the real face of these “intellectuals”.

Thanks,

Ahmad Noorani

Nazir Naji Audio – 1:

Nazir Naji Audio – 2:

Nazir Naji Audio – 3:

Download Audio Files: Audio 1 | Audio 2 | Audio 3
…

Senior journalist loses temper, regrets his words
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
By Usman Manzoor

ISLAMABAD: Senior writer and columnist Nazir Naji, who has been recently allotted a plot in Islamabad by the PPP government, went ballistic and used vulgar language, profanities and abuses against a reporter of The News, when he was called to seek his version of the plot story two days ago.

Reporter Muhammed Ahmad Noorani had called Nazir Naji to confirm whether he had been allotted a plot in Islamabad although he had one in Lahore. Nazir Naji first responded to his questions politely and explained his side, saying it was his right to get a plot in Islamabad as a Punjabi because Islamabad was the federal capital where we all have a right.

But a few hours later Naji rang up Noorani twice from Lahore and started heaping verbal abuses and profanities, using threatening language and questioning the reporter’s right to ask him about his plot saying: “I have 50 years of service in journalism and you just have four years experience. How can you dare to ask me such a question.”

Nazir Naji challenged the reporter to record his conversation and threatened to fix him and his boss in 24 hours because he had dared to ask a personal question. The frightened reporter recorded the telephone talk to ensure that he was not accused of any misbehaviour with a senior journalist.

Earlier in his explanation, Nazir Naji said he had applied for a plot in 2004 and he had a right as the Lahore High Court (LHC) had issued a judgment in favour of some other journalists and he could also benefit from the same judgment.

The profanities continued for over 20 minutes in two calls made by Nazir Naji to The News reporter and ended with threats of fixing him and Ansar Abbasi, who is the Editor Investigations and supervisor of Noorani. Nazir Naji also called both of the journalists “dogs” and blackmailers.

Later, Group Editor of The News Shaheen Sehbai called Nazir Naji about the unfortunate conversation and asked him whether the reporter of The News had misbehaved with him. The group editor later said Nazir Naji confirmed that he had lost his temper because the reporter was asking irrelevant questions.

The next day Nazir Naji expressed his regrets in a call to another journalist of The News, Rauf Klasra. “Nazir Naji made a telephone call to this correspondent from Lahore on Sunday and said he was really sorry that he said something which he should have not said to Noorani in the first place,” Klasra reported.

He told Klasra that he was a blood pressure patient and when he got a call from the reporter, he might have felt provoked and said certain things which he believed now should have not been said at all.

“Nazir Naji did not mean to say what he said to Noorani, as he felt that he should have kept his temper under control while talking to the reporter. The famous columnist said it was an unfortunate thing to happen and for this he was ready to say sorry to Noorani,” Klasra reported. Until Monday night, Nazir Naji had not called Noorani.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=173451

…
Complicated issue of plot allotments in Islamabad!

Friday, April 17, 2009
by Muhammad Ahmad Noorani

Islamabad

How plots are being allotted in posh and expensive sectors of Islamabad is an interesting phenomena and new facts are throwing light on this process. In one case the officer who allots plots to others has himself acquired an expensive plot, and says he has the right to do so.

Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) Director General Sher Afzal, however, said that the plot was allotted to him in accordance with rules.

But interestingly before he got the plot in Sector I-8, the FGEHF Executive Committee offered plots to CDA chairman and all the six CDA members in other sectors.

But these offers were not meant to bribe CDA for getting the plot in I-8 sector, Mr Sher Afzal told ‘The News’.

According to official documents, Sher Afzal, who is responsible for allotting plots to federal government employees from junior cadres to federal secretaries, is a grade-19 officer, who was appointed as the foundation’s DG in January this year but had joined the FGEHF six months back. No plots were available then in sector I-8 with FGEHF.

CDA provides required plots to FGEHF in sector I-8 measuring 600 square yards to officers in Grade 20 and above but still a Grade-19 officer got one because he is head of the FGEHF.

Currently FGEHF is making allotments to federal government employees in sector G-14. However, according to DG Sher Afzal, plots could also be allotted in other sectors if available. The location wise value of plots in the capital city Islamabad is very different from other cities as according to real estate experts the prices of plots existing in luxurious sectors like I-8 are extremely high than those existing in far flung sectors like G-14.

According to one such expert the price of 600 square yard plot in sector I-8 is Rs30 million while that a plot with the same measurement in sector G-14 is merely Rs3 million to Rs4 million.

When Sher Afzal was asked that plots to other federal government employees were being allotted in sectors G-13 and G-14, how could he allot himself a plot in sector I-8, he replied that as plots were available in sector I-8 so he got one.

Asked that according to information with ‘The News’ plots in sector I-8 were in fact not available and that he had offered 7 plots to top CDA officials including CDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood, member finance Saeed-ur-Rehman, member administration SM Farooqi, member P&D Syed Tanveer Hussain Bokhari, member engineering Tahir Shamshad, member environment Mazhar Hussain and member Estate Brigadier (r) Asad Munir and in return demanded plots in Sector I-8, Sher Afzal replied that these plots were offered to these CDA officials, but this offer was never meant to bribe them to create more plots in I-8.

The DG, FGEHF told this correspondent last Wednesday that CDA chairman and CDA members had accepted the offer and were ready to get their plots. However, on Monday he said that all the members and chairman have now refused to accept the offer.

‘The News’ had also learnt reliably that all the CDA officials were ready to take the plots, but when they came to know the scandalous nature of the whole episode and learnt that media had started probing it, they dropped the idea to take these plots.

CDA members Briggadier (r) Asad Munir and Saeed-ur-Rehman told ‘The News’ that they were not availing the plots offered by FGEHF. Sources close to members SM Bokhari and Tahir Shamshad say that these two members are also not willing to avail the offer. Syed Tanveer Hussain Bokhari was of the view that he didn’t avail any plot so far, but offer of FGEHF was not in a good spirit and FGEHF) should not lay ambiguous conditions for it.

Mazhar Hussain was of the view that though he has already taken a plot back in 1985 from CDA, he will only avail this opportunity if there is nothing wrong legally in availing it. “If I will avail the offer, I will avail publicly and not secretly,” Mazhar said.

CDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood told ‘The News’ that he was never officially offered a plot by the FGEHF. “Verbally some officials offered me a plot, which I refused and will not accept it,” he said.

While giving his response to ‘The News’, Sher Afzal said: “Allotments of plots to the officers of FGEHF are made on the basis of one per cent quota only to those employees who have served 10 years in government and have served in FGEHF for not less than six months. In my case I have more than 13 years service and I have completed six months of mandatory service in FGEHF. No deviation from the rules and law has been made in my case. Everyday we issue dozens of allotments to federal government employees, and if one allotment has been made as per rules in my favour, it is not a major event.” Sher further added: “Executive committee of housing foundation in its 105th meeting has confirmed category-I allotment in my favour.” Asked that he was only a Grade-19 officer and could not get a Category-2 plot, how he had managed to get a plot for Grade-20 and higher officials, Sher Afzal replied that the Executive Committee had allotted him the plot in Sector I-8.

On the other hand head of the executive committee and federal secretary housing and works GM Sikandar, while talking to ‘The News’ said that executive committee never allotted any plot to Sher Afzal in sector I-8. “He may himself have allotted the plot to himself,” Sikandar said.

Another member of the executive committee, Syed Tanveer Hussain Bokhari, who is also member planning CDA, said that executive committee members were not aware that Sher Afzal was in grade-19 rather they were considering him a grade-20 employee as he was DG, FGEHF which is a grade-20 post.

He too said that executive committee has nothing to do with the allotment to Sher Afzal in sector I-8. He said that he was even unaware that whether executive committee has permitted Sher to get a category-I plot.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=172974

Amir Mughal writes

1 – Senior journalist returns plot to government By our correspondent Saturday, April 18, 2009

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=21596

If I am not fogetting there was an Accountability Case in Sindh in late 90s or in early 2000/2001 wherein an Audio Tape and a Video Tape was produced before the Judge as an evidence of bribery but court didn’t allow the evidence and court’s observation was that anybody good at acting can do that.

I hope if any lawyer on this forum can educate us on the admittance of such evidence in the Court of Law in Pakistan.

Recently on Justice Bilal Case in Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath on GEO TV, Mr Ansar Abbasi had openly admitted that he usually tapes the conversation of the people he talks with on any particular story. When Kamran Khan asked that “is it not against Journalism’s Ethics, Mr Ansar said, that investigative journalists would have to have some evidence to support the story so that the subject couldn’t deny the facts in future.

Generally, journalists do inform the subject [when they break any sensational story] that he/she is on tape but that rarely happened in Pakistan and that is the Violation of Fundamental Rights i.e. Invasion of Privacy , illication of private information through unfair means. There is a difference between Journalist, Police Officer and Intelligence Officer.
Journalists should avoid being Intelligence Officers because Intelligence Officers often do things which are not allowed under any Law.

You should have read Nazir Naji when he used to “praise” General Zia and then Nawaz Sharif and now Zardari. Also you should have read Mr Ansar Abbasi when he was in Daily Dawn and in those days Islam was no where near Ansar Abbasi.

Ansar Abbasi & Jang Group’s latest somersault on Islam, Shariah and Sufi Muhammad.

http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/04/ansar-abbasi-jang-groups-latest.html

Senior journalist returns plot to government By our correspondent Saturday, April 18, 2009
========================
“QUOTE”
RIUJ resents Ansar Abbasi’s move of ‘surrendering’ his plot DATED Friday 24th April, 2009

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144302

ISLAMABAD: RIUJ (Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists) has taken strong notice of, the fact that Mr. Ansar Abbasi has written a letter to Chief Minister Punjab, in which acting as a very honest person, has returned his plot allotted to him in Media Town, Rawalpindi as a member of Press Club. He was more than welcome if his intentions were good, but unfortunately he also asked CM Shahbaz Sharif to cancel all the plots given to members of Rwp/Islamabad Press Club. In his letter he said that journalists in Pakistan belong to privileged class, while in fact 98 % of Pakistani journalists deserve sympathy of people, as they are the most depressed class of the society.

The journalists in Pakistan are getting the wages of 1996. In most of newspapers they don’t even get their salary even after three months; over 400 journalists were terminated without notice across the country from various newspapers and TV Channels. He never raised voice against this, though he remember to give safe side to media owners.
Ansar Abbasi wrote in his letter that he does not feel good because this plot was given by the government, but he never asked his bosses to move out of the GEO building because this plot was also given to Mir Shakil by the then government. He did not tell the people that previous government gave the status of MODEL VILLAGE to his native town and his brother was given the contract, besides not confess that he resides in a luxury house in the posh sector of Islamabad, and neither that someone gifted three hotels to him at Faizabad. This is not the move of ANSAR ABBASI, but of the media owners to avoid implementation on 7th wage award. IS there anyone to raise voice against this man?
Ansar Abbasi backing Qabza group in Murree: affectees DATED Friday 24th April, 2009

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144276

ISLAMABAD: One Shazia Shah, a school teacher has alleged leading journalist Ansar Abbasi is backing “Qabza” group in Murree adding bother in law and some other relatives of Ansar Abbasi are part of this group.

She said this along with other members of affected family while addressing a press conference here Wednesday in Islamabad Press Club. “My family belongs to Bhurbun and the Qabza group which is patronized by brother in law of Ansar Abbasi has illegally occupied a land tract of 14 kanal owned by my family”, she charged. This land valued Rs 2 Lac per canal, she added. About 50 to 60 hooligans attacked our home a few days earlier and abused our family publicly, she told. Some people also attacked my car when I was traveling from Murree to Islamabad by my car a week before and I made a marrow escape”, she blamed. Waqar who is brother of Shazia Shah alleged Qabza group had refused to accept the decision of Jirga. He appealed to chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to take immediate notice of this illegal occupation and take action for ensuring early return of land to his family from the illegal occupants.

“UNQUOTE”

Comment by dr.jawwad khan on April 25, 2009 @ 3:28 pm

protest of the french govt over article published in daily jang / news by ansar abbasi in which he revealed some important information about french special envoy.

this article is also reflected in the daily ummat

http://www.ummatpublication.com/2009/04/25/story4.html

Comment by Danial Burki on April 25, 2009 @ 6:24 pm

Ansar Abbasi has professional integrity, credibility and an impeccable service record?!

Haha, good one. As someone inside the industry, trust me, this man is as dirty as the people he has exposed in the last few years.

protest of the french govt over article published in daily jang / news by ansar abbasi in which he revealed some important information about french special envoy.

this article is also reflected in the daily ummat

http://www.ummatpublication.com/2009/04/25/story4.html

thanks to ansar abbasi whose supervision made ahmed noorani work on such a eye opening story. ansar abbasi zinda bad.

=================
Dear Jawwad Sahab,
Indeed Mr Ansar Abbasi Zindabad [Long Live] but would you kindly provide the link of that story which as per you filed by Mr Ansar Abbasi in Jang on the subject mentioned in Daily Ummat, Karachi. By the way the online news agency is owned by Amir Latif [correct me if I am wrong] who is also an activist of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba [Student Wing of Jamat-e-Islami]. I hope IJT worker is not lying in his story on Asnar Abbasi:

“QUOTE”

RIUJ resents Ansar Abbasi’s move of ‘surrendering’ his plot DATED Friday 24th April, 2009
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144302 Ansar

Abbasi backing Qabza group in Murree: affectees DATED Friday 24th April, 2009

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=144276

“UNQUOTE”
Some facts on Daily Ummat Publication and its Land Grabber and Gangster Editor Rafique Afghan, from where you have quoted the news. If you have any doubt that then go to any nearest library and search for the Leading Newspapers Daily Dawn, The News International, Daily Jang, and Daily Jasarat as well of 1997, 1998 and 1999 and you may find very disturbing expose’ about Ummat and its editor Rafique Afghan. Crux is as under: Editor Ummat – Rafique Afghan [not a Pashtun but Urdu Speaking Jamat-e-Islami/IJT Worker of Karachi University and worked with Hussain Haqqani in Karachi University in IJT and Former Employee of Weekly Takbeer, Karachi] should we discuss how he occupied Ummat newspaper and snatched it from his benefactor (Late Salahuddin – May Allah have mercy on his soul) and how he beaten his own wife Saadia d/o Salahuddin for the sake of just a Newspaper.
Salahuddin murder case takes a dramatic turn

http://www.karachipage.com/news/Jan_99/010899.html

DAWN/The News International, KARACHI
08 January 1999, Friday, 19 Ramzan 1419

KARACHI, Jan 7: The murder case of Maulana Salahuddin has taken a dramatic turn with the startling disclosures by his daughter that she suspects the involvement of her husband in the assassination of her father, who was editor of Takbeer. She called upon the government to reinvestigate the case.

She also pleaded for associating her husband, Rafiq Afghan, editor of an Urdu daily, with the inquiry and added that she had decided to seek separation from her husband.

Speaking to Dawn on Thursday, Saadia said she had sent a request to the interior minister a few days ago expressing her concern over the state of investigations conducted in the case. She said in her communication to the minister that the police had installed “fake” suspects.

The interior minister, Chaudhry Shujaat, when contacted by Dawn, said that now the case of Maulana Salahuddin, who was murdered outside his offices in 1994, could not be reinvestigated as a scrutiny committee comprising the personnel of the army’s judge advocate general branch, military intelligence, the ISI and the chief secretary had scrutinised the case and prepared it for its trial by a military court.

Terming the move by Saadia as a “belated one”, the interior minister said Rafiq Afghan could not be cited even as co-accused in the case according to the procedures being adopted in the scrutiny and disposal of cases.

In her letter to the federal minister, Saadia said, she had expressed her fears that Rafiq Afghan wanted to flee the country with their two-year-old son and, therefore, his name be put on the exit control list.
She said she had also written that Rafiq would be fleeing the country to either Iran or Afghanistan, alleging that he had in his possession an ID card with the fake name of Saleem, “and he must be having a passport with a fake name, as well.”

A few days later, Saadia said, she spoke to the interior minister who acknowledged the receipt of her letter, saying the government would definitely do something in this regard.

Saadia, who, according to her, has had estranged relations with her husband ever since “he kicked me out from his house in 1997″, said that her suspicions, which had now turned into a firm belief, were based on “convincing reasons”.

The woman claimed that the only witness and complainant in the murder case, the late Salahuddin’s driver, had been coerced by her husband to identify one of the two “fake” suspects in police custody, Saleem TT.

Later on, she said, the CIA police on their own brought the other “fake” suspect, Nadeem Mota, to the residence of the driver, Amjad Pervaiz, to force him to identify Nadeem as well as an assassin.

She said the management of Takbeer, headed by her, had taken a stand soon after the case was reopened following the imposition of governor’s rule and had detected numerous instances of foul play in the investigations carried out by the police.

She said Amjad Pervaiz volunteered to speak out the truth when he found that the magazine had already taken a stand on the issue and on the occasion of second fake identification he refused to oblige the police.

“I noticed a U-turn in the overall attitude of my husband soon after the reopening of the case as he who had ejected me from the house was now showing willingness to welcome me, which I refused,” said Saadia, who was married to Rafiq Afghan in 1988.

Only yesterday, she said, the witness (Amjad Pervaiz) was unofficially produced before the high-ranking police officials comprising, among others, the DIG of Karachi, at Takbeer’s offices. He told them that he was shown various photographs of suspect Saleem TT by Rafiq in the latter’s office “forcing” him to identify the suspect for police.
Saadia claimed that in the entire course of inquiries no one from Takbeer had been approached by the law enforcement agencies since the murder. She said that the driver was approached independently and the management had never been informed about it.

She said the situation suggested that the police wanted to save the real culprits involved in the conspiracy hatched to kill her father.

Source: http://teeth.com.pk

Farooq, April 29, 2009:
Nazir Naji throws naked abuses to Ahmed Noorani. Hundreds of comments have appeared on different sites. 99% of them have condemned the words used by Nazir Naji. Most of them have shown no surprise on it. Only 1% have indulged in technical things like recording conversation is illegal etc.

Ayaz, April 26, 2009:
I think all this fuss has been created by this guy Noorani may be under the shadow of his boss Ansar Abbassi in a professional jealousy with Naji. The fact is that journalism in this country is not a sacred profession. It is just a group blackmailers prevailing around. Otherwise no journalist is fair, sincere or angel. All of them have lot of stories with them, it is the one which they want to scandalize. What I know some inner side of this profession is that bribery, drinking, blackmailing, leg-pulling are very common fashions. Whether it Noorani, Naji or Abbassi, they all live in same liter.

Now, keeping above scenario in view, following facts merge very prominently from these audios:-
1) Noorani has so-called tried to frame a story regarding irregularities in plot allotment to some senior journalists.
2) Initially, Naji while he was in his complete senses and temper under his control replied Noorani’s questions very wel in a sensible and gentleman like way.
3) Naji being from the same profession, later realized the bad intentions of Noorani, so he rings him back.
4) But this time probably Naji is drunk (as obvious from his voice) could not control his temper and started abusing Noorani badly for blackmailing.
5) Since Noorani is recording all this conversation covertly. So he was behaving very well through out the conversation showing himself a very self-compose journalist.
6) Later the matter of irregularities in plots allotment goes for six, however Noorani is very much successful in defaming Naji personality and destroying his professional career.
So please don’t be very impressed with Noorani as well. He has also played dirty in this fuss.

Akhtar :
The illicit relationship between Ansar Abbasi and Ahmed Noorani
.

Dear Akhtar Sahab and Moderators,

Material is as under for Fireworks: Jang Group’s Indian Agents & Jang’s Aman Ki Asha – Destination Peace. http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2010/05/jang-groups-indian-agent-jangs-aman-ki.html

What a joke this Jang Group of Newspapers is playing with Pakistan and India both by riding two boats at the same time. Jang Group’s Urdu “RAG” Daily Jang carries a news wherein the correspondent has indirectly declared that I A Rehman (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan), Asma Jahangir (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) and Muneeza Hashmi are Indian Agents whereas the English Version of the same “RAG” of the Jang Groups doesn’t even mention the name of the three.

Akhtar :
The illicit relationship between Ansar Abbasi and Ahmed Noorani

Mohammad Ahmed Noorani had basically “FILED REPORT AGAINST DR SHAHID MASOOD” , what a confused soul: Jang Group VS Dr. Shahid Masood & ARY ONE World. http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/11/jang-group-vs-dr-shahid-masood-ary-one.html

Difference between Noorani and Abbasi:)

A get-CJ Iftikhar operation on the cards? Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Kaira rejects any move, political leaders show lack of knowledge By Ansar Abbasi http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=29502

ISLAMABAD: The Presidency has launched a covert operation to target Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry with clear signs that the massive government funds being doled out to lawyers and the highly dubious appointment of an ordinary lawyer as federal law secretary are part of this larger agenda, it is learnt.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, however, categorically denied this and termed it baseless and speculative, insisting that publication of such a story without concrete proofs would lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

Sources confided to The News that the Presidency is desperate to effectively target the chief justice and possibly remove him for which the groundwork has already started and things are expected to mature after the Supreme Court hands down its decision on the 18th Amendment.

Feeling insecure from a fiercely independent judiciary because of their tainted past, President Asif Ali Zardari and a group of his advisers, including a few federal ministers, all of whom have their personal grudge against the judiciary, have chalked out this strategy to muster much-required support of political and legal fraternity to target the top judge. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is also said to be on-board.

Sure to win the support of all its coalition partners, including the ANP, the MQM and the JUI-F, all of them not too happy with the independent judiciary because of its decisions affecting them and their leaders, the PPP is also confident to take the PML-N on-board.

After reading and hearing the anti-judiciary sentiments of certain PML-N leaders, the sources said, the Presidency is desirous to see the apex court striking down any part of the 18th Amendment so that the PML-N’s support could also be won to target Justice Iftikhar-led superior judiciary.

Presidency spokesman Farhatullah Babar was simply inaccessible as he neither attended this correspondent’s phone calls nor responded to the SMS message conveying the question on the issue.

Information Minister Qamaruzzaman Kaira, however, when approached categorically denied this and asked how the PPP government, which gave its blood during the judicial movement and restored the judges through an executive order, could even think of targeting any of the judges.

“Neither there is any such thinking nor it will happen,” he said, adding that the PPP, the government or the Presidency have nothing against any judge. The information minister said the government respects the judges and the courts and is obeying their orders and directions. He said there is no issue of President Asif Ali Zardari as the 18th Amendment was passed by parliament.

PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal, however, emphatically said that his party, which has paid a heavy price for the restoration of the independent judiciary, would not let any attempt aimed at attacking it succeed.

Denying that any of the PML-N leaders was approached even informally by the government for supporting the get-Justice Iftikhar operation, Ahsan Iqbal apprehended that the government was trying to deflect the NRO issue by preparing grounds for a bigger controversy, or a battle between the judiciary and parliament.

He said the PML-N owns the 18th Amendment and defends it too but would give its response on the court decision only after it is be handed down and reviewed by the party. The sources, however, said some of the PML-N leaders have even assured the PPP men to stand with parliament in case of the striking down of any of the constitutional amendments. In such a situation, the government plans to move a resolution in parliament in favour of the 18th Amendment and against the apex court.

Similar resolutions, the sources said, are expected to be moved and adopted in the provincial assemblies, including the Punjab, provided the PML-N gets on-board. The induction of Babar Awan’s junior as law secretary is also part of the impending get-Justice Iftikhar operation. The sources said Zardari’s confidants are also contemplating filing a formal reference before the Supreme Judicial Council against the chief justice.

About the grounds of such a reference, nothing could be ascertained by this correspondent except that the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Qazi Anwar, revealed to The News something is said to have already been received by President Zardari against the chief justice.

Qazi said he has recently hinted at a possible attack on the superior judiciary following the prime minister’s repeated statements that the judges were restored through his executive order, which could be withdrawn, and that the restoration was not the consequence of the long march.

“These statements are not meaningless,” he said but resolved that the lawyers’ fraternity and the people of Pakistan would not let the government attack the independent judiciary.

Only recently Dr Abdul Basit, the then counsel of the Federation representing in the 18th Amendment case, had talked of moving a reference against the chief justice. Basit, however, was removed from the panel because he had thrice changed his statements about the authority, who had directed him to object to the inclusion of the chief justice in the 17-member bench hearing the case.

He initially named the president, then talked of Salman Farooqi and later said that the strategy was decided in the law minister’s office.

Meanwhile, the sources said the Presidency also wants the PML-N to realise that with the kind of the judiciary that exists in Pakistan right now, no government could function freely. The PML-N, it is said, will also be made to realise that its leadership too has pending corruption cases in the superior judiciary, which might create problems for them too.

The PPP is, however, confident of winning the support of its coalition partners. The MQM, which has not shown any sign of defiance against the judiciary, is expected to join the government’s move. Senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar, when approached told The News that no one from the government or Presidency has contacted his party for any such move against the chief justice.

Sattar said if the government contacts the MQM in this respect in the future, the party would take the issue to its Rabita Committee and would take a decision accordingly keeping in view the overall situation. The MQM though never supported the NRO whether inside parliament or before the apex court, its annulment led to opening up of almost 8,000 criminal cases against the MQM leaders and workers. Of late, the Supreme Court had sought from the provincial authorities, including the Sindh government, an update about such cases.

ANP spokesman Zahid Khan told The News that neither he was aware of any such development nor his party leadership was contacted by the government or the Presidency with such a proposal.

Answering a question as to what would be the stance of the ANP if the government sought its support for such a move, he said he couldn’t respond to hypothetical questions.

JUI-F spokesman Maulana Ajmad when contacted said he is not aware of any such move and is hearing it from The News for the first time. He, however, committed to get back to The News on the issue after talking to his party’s top leadership.

Meanwhile, the government has also pinned high hopes on Asma Jehangir, who is contesting for the office of the president SC Bar Association. Though she is an independent candidate and highly respected, the government is supporting her with great hopes.

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