In a frustrated effort to save his wealth and to serve the vested interest of his masters in the civilian government and the establishment, Malik Riaz has launched a full-scale attack against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. He admits that he bribed the wavering son of the CJ and trapped him to get his cases of corruption and a criminal nature including murder decided in his favour but failed despite allegedly paying Rs340 million to Dr Arsalan Iftikhar.

Now he is all out to blackmail the chief justice and hence raised three questions, containing half-truths but clearly meant to malign the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Malik sahib, why did you not raise these questions one, two or three years back? Why now?

He claims to have great love for Pakistan and its people but practically he has laid the mines to destroy and destruct the only credible and pro-people institution - judiciary - left in the country. He is out to deprive the people of Pakistan of their only hope because the present Supreme Court is not deciding his cases as per his wishes.

Malik Riaz Hussain might have succeeded in trapping Arslan Iftikhar but admits that the CJ or the Supreme Court did not favour him in any manner. He did not point a finger on the conduct of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the CJP, who during the past three years has proved to be the only man standing against corruption, misrule and violation of human rights in Pakistan.

In a country where the executive is involved in corruption and does not feel shame in protecting the corrupt while the anti-corruption state institutions like the Federal Investigation Agency and the National Accountability Bureau are tamed in favour of the corrupt and tainted rulers there is one institution, the Supreme Court, which has taken a stand against corruption, injustices and brutalities of police, intelligence agencies and the executive.

Malik Riaz should have praised the Chief Justice for not having been purchased by any one, but why should he? He is in the habit buying everyone. He has nine generals though retired serving under him, he is a de facto ruler of Islamabad, he has partnership with army in the housing business and has enormous influence in the media. He could not buy the Chief Justice and here lies the problem for the Riaz Malik mindset.

Since 2009 the SC has taken up cases of corruption involving Rs400 billion and has saved tens of billions of the national exchequer, which had almost gone into the pockets of the powerful and the mighty.

This figure is apart from NRO cases that involve another Rs175 billion in looted money. The NICL scam involving Rs5 billion; the Hajj scam involving Prime Minister’s son Abdul Qadir Gilani; the RPP case with Rs455 billion at stake; Bank of Punjab case in which Rs8 billion has been recovered etc; the Evacuee Trust Property Board case involving controversial sale of 240 acres of prime land for peanuts; Sindh land allotment cases, the illegal regularisation of 50 acres of Karachi land at throwaway prices; the Steel Mills scandal: written off bank loans case involving Rs256 billion and many more.

He is known as the king maker; there is a long list of ministers, members of the civilian and military bureaucracy, politicians and even media men considering him as their godfather; he has his choice men appointed at every position that matters for him including chairman NAB; he is the best friend of top government leadership and also enjoys excellent relations with the top leadership of other political parties. Alas, he could not tolerate one dissenting voice.