Ex-CJP offers personal appearance before JC

ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry Tuesday addressed a letter to the Judicial Commission (JC) offering his personal appearance to defend himself against what he called vile allegation of rigging leveled against him.
The commission has been constituted under the General Elections 2013 Inquiry Commission Ordinance, 2015 to probe allegations of rigging in the general elections 2013.In a one-page letter addressed to Secretary Judicial Commission Muhammad Hamid Ali, Justice Chaudhry said he was ready to appear before the commission to rebut the allegations.
“From time to time various vile allegations have been made against me by various persons, including Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, that I in my capacity as Chief Justice of Pakistan or otherwise was involved in rigging or manipulating the results of the general elections 2013,” wrote Justice Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, Chairman Mohajir Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) Afaq Ahmed also filed an application with the commission on Tuesday.The MQMP had fielded 11 candidates for the National Assembly and 16 for the Sindh Assembly seats. Afaq Ahmed himself contested the general election from NA-251 and NA-255.
The MQMP application, filed through Hashmat Habib advocate, stated that after the acceptance of nomination papers of their candidates, the MQM under Altaf Hussain created hurdles for them by killing their office-bearers and ransacking the party offices.
He said the MQM made the situation very difficult for his party candidates to contest the polls. Afaq Ahmed was kept under unannounced house arrest during the elections, the petition said. He also attached relevant documents with the petition.
He said 27 candidates of MQMP were contesting election in Karachi and other parts of the province.Aftab Hussain and Hashmat Habib advocates will appear before the commission on behalf of the MQMP.