Reference against Qazi Faez Isa: Attorney General submits reply

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan on Thursday submitted a reply in the Supreme Court, regarding presidential reference against apex court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

In his reply, the AGP said that Justice Isa’s spouse and children own expensive properties in the United Kingdom, which were purchased in the year 2004 and 2013, and at the time, when they had no independent source of income of their own.

The inescapable conclusion which follows is that the properties are Benami and that Justice Qazi Faez Isa is the ostensible owner, he added.

He said that the reference only directs the Supreme Judicial Council about the inquiry into whether the conduct of the petitioner in owning those properties, though ostensibly, is free from financial impropriety.

The simple and straight forward answer to this query before the Council, comprising of petitioner's own peers, would have been to disclose the source of funds, employed to purchase the properties and the mode and manner of acquisition of foreign exchange and its transfer to the UK.

The reply stated that the petitioner (Justice Qazi Faez Isa), instead of providing the simple answers to the Council, took a very evasive stand and started vilifying and castigating the complainant.

Admittedly the information provided by the complaint is true and indeed admitted by the petitioner, therefore, instead of assassinating the character of the complainant, the petitioner should have come forward with the truth, ie, source of funds, acquisition of foreign exchange and its transfer to the UK for the purchasing of properties, it added.

It said: "As a Judge, we all expect a very high standard of rectitude, probity and honesty of behaviour from the learned Petitioner Judge.

However, by not providing the simple answers regarding funds employed for the purchase of three properties in UK, the petitioner by his conduct has dis-entitled himself to claim any equitable relief from this court.

The AGP denied all allegations, insinuations, aspersions, put forth by Justice Isa and the country’s bar associations and councils alleging the presidential references were filed out of mala fide intent and for ulterior motives."

It may be mentioned that the presidential reference was filed in May in the Supreme Judicial Council against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, alleging non-disclosure of assets in his wealth statement.