Judge who cleared PM, now waits to become AJK judge
November 12, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The judge of Musharraf’s Islamabad High Court, who cleared Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in two NAB corruption references, and was ousted by the Supreme Court, was first appointed as Chairman Ehtasaab Bureau in Azad Kashmir and is now vying for being a judge of the AJK Supreme Court.
Earlier this year, he also tried to grab a slot in the AJK High Court but due to the principled stand of the AJK HC’s chief justice, he could not manage to do so. The AJK HC’s chief justice is in hospital nowadays because he was shot in the abdomen by an unidentified gunman on October 25.
Details reveal that Raja Saeed Akram was appointed as judge of the Islamabad High Court by General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in February 2008, and as a judge of IHC, he along with the then notorious PCO Chief Justice of IHC Sardar Muhammad Aslam, had cleared PM Gilani in two NAB references on February 4, 2009. Sardar Aslam is the same person who legitimised the jacked-up marks of the daughter of Abdul Hameed Dogar.
The two corruption references in which PM Gilani was cleared by Raja Saeed Akram and Sardar Aslam include the illegal recruitment of 600 people to the National Assembly Secretariat during his 1993-96 tenure as speaker of the lower house of Parliament and thus inflicting an annual loss of Rs30 million to the exchequer. In another case, Premier Gilani was charged with using public money to purchase 15 luxury cars that he put to personal use.
July 31, 2009, historic judgement of the Supreme Court though sent Musharraf’s appointee, Raja Saeed Akram, to home but the ousted judge managed to grab another important post but in the AJK. He was made Chairman Ehtasaab Bureau in Kashmir as he hails from the AJK. Earlier this year, name of Raja Saeed Akram was sent to Prime Minister Gilani for his appointment as a judge of the AJK High Court.
The chief justice of AJK HC, Justice Mustafa Mughal, had told this correspondent that he did not recommend the name of Raja Saeed Akram as judge of the high court yet his name was included among the list of recommended lawyers for the slots of judges. Justice Mustafa had also said that he had checked the record of the AJK and Raja Saeed Akram has never been enrolled as a lawyer in Azad Kashmir.
Well-placed sources in the AJK told The News that all has been set for Raja Saeed Akram to become the judge of AJK Supreme Court. According to the AJK constitution, the Prime Minister of Pakistan being the Chairman AJK Council appoints the judges of AJK superior judiciary. The sources said that it was a growing perception among the AJK lawyers that Raja Saeed Akram was being rewarded for clearing the Prime Minister Gilani in two corruption references while being judge of Islamabad High Court.
Raja Saeed Akram was not available for comments, however, when earlier this year he was contacted he had told this correspondent that he was among the pioneer judges of IHC. He had also said that he had never practised in the AJK but practice in AJK was not necessary to become a judge of AJK superior judiciary. He had also confirmed that he had cleared Prime Minister Gilani in two corruption cases.
Earlier this year, he also tried to grab a slot in the AJK High Court but due to the principled stand of the AJK HC’s chief justice, he could not manage to do so. The AJK HC’s chief justice is in hospital nowadays because he was shot in the abdomen by an unidentified gunman on October 25.
Details reveal that Raja Saeed Akram was appointed as judge of the Islamabad High Court by General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in February 2008, and as a judge of IHC, he along with the then notorious PCO Chief Justice of IHC Sardar Muhammad Aslam, had cleared PM Gilani in two NAB references on February 4, 2009. Sardar Aslam is the same person who legitimised the jacked-up marks of the daughter of Abdul Hameed Dogar.
The two corruption references in which PM Gilani was cleared by Raja Saeed Akram and Sardar Aslam include the illegal recruitment of 600 people to the National Assembly Secretariat during his 1993-96 tenure as speaker of the lower house of Parliament and thus inflicting an annual loss of Rs30 million to the exchequer. In another case, Premier Gilani was charged with using public money to purchase 15 luxury cars that he put to personal use.
July 31, 2009, historic judgement of the Supreme Court though sent Musharraf’s appointee, Raja Saeed Akram, to home but the ousted judge managed to grab another important post but in the AJK. He was made Chairman Ehtasaab Bureau in Kashmir as he hails from the AJK. Earlier this year, name of Raja Saeed Akram was sent to Prime Minister Gilani for his appointment as a judge of the AJK High Court.
The chief justice of AJK HC, Justice Mustafa Mughal, had told this correspondent that he did not recommend the name of Raja Saeed Akram as judge of the high court yet his name was included among the list of recommended lawyers for the slots of judges. Justice Mustafa had also said that he had checked the record of the AJK and Raja Saeed Akram has never been enrolled as a lawyer in Azad Kashmir.
Well-placed sources in the AJK told The News that all has been set for Raja Saeed Akram to become the judge of AJK Supreme Court. According to the AJK constitution, the Prime Minister of Pakistan being the Chairman AJK Council appoints the judges of AJK superior judiciary. The sources said that it was a growing perception among the AJK lawyers that Raja Saeed Akram was being rewarded for clearing the Prime Minister Gilani in two corruption references while being judge of Islamabad High Court.
Raja Saeed Akram was not available for comments, however, when earlier this year he was contacted he had told this correspondent that he was among the pioneer judges of IHC. He had also said that he had never practised in the AJK but practice in AJK was not necessary to become a judge of AJK superior judiciary. He had also confirmed that he had cleared Prime Minister Gilani in two corruption cases.
