Moonis Elahi declared innocent in NICL case

Moonis Elahi’s acquittal reflects freedom of judiciary: Ch Shujat

LAHORE: PML-Q President, Senator Ch Shujat Hussain on Friday said his family had always reposed confidence in the free judiciary and Moonis Elahi’s acquittal was reflective of freedom of judiciary and victory of truth over fiction.

Talking to the jubilant Leaguers and workers on the release of Moonis Elahi at his residence here, he said our heads are bowed before the Almighty Allah on MPA Moonis Elahi’s acquittal, adding that PML-Q was equally thankful to the judiciary.

With reference to free judiciary in the country, Ch Shujat Hussain said Moonis returned to the country fearlessly after he heard of the false cases against him, adding that he had complete faith in the integrity of institutions in the country.

Senior PML-Q leader, Federal Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi, PML-Q leaders Ch Wajahat Hussain, Ch Shafat Hussain and Rasikh Elahi have thanked the leaguers for their constant support and steadfastness during Moonis Elahi’s trial.

Zafar Qureshi tried to dictate court: Moonis Elahi's counsel

Lahore (September 06, 2011) District & Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqim acting in the capacity of Special Judge Banking Court had adjourned the NICL case hearing on the FIA’s request till September 17. Earlier in today’s proceedings Moonis Elahi’s lawyer during his arguments urged the Honourable Court that if the FIA was being unduly facilitated to appoint a new prosecutor and present a new challan then his client should also be given the due relief denied to him thus far. 

He further argued that in Zafar Qureshi’s request to the Honourable Court nowhere had he asked for a full month to complete the investigation. Moonis Elahi’s lawyer strongly objected to the language used by Zafar Qureshi in his letter addressed to the Honourable Court. He said that the tone and tanner of the said letter was such that it seemed Zafar Qureshi was giving orders to the court and doing so was in his jurisdiction. 

He said that according to contents of the said letter the Honourable Court was nothing more than a post office. The Honourable Court reprimanded the FIA officials for continuously changing the agency’s representative in the course of the proceedings. The Honourable Court instructed the FIA to appoint a permanent representative to be present in the proceedings. On the Court’s inquiry that how much more time did the FIA require to complete the investigation, the FIA officials forwarded an application requesting for one month to complete the task.

Later talking to the media, Moonis Elahi’s lawyer Rai Bashir Ahmad accused Zafar Qureshi of taking undue advantages of the importance given to him by Supreme Court. He further accused Zafar Qureshi of leveraging the Supreme Court’s importance to dictate his own orders to the Lower Courts. He alleged Zafar Qureshi of blackmailing the courts and said that this was neither in the judiciary’s interest nor in the interest of the public. He said that Moonis Elahi to express his faith in the country’s law and the judiciary’s capacity to dispense justice had returned voluntarily from England which had no extradition treaty signed with Pakistan. A large number of Pakistan Muslim League’s supporters were present in the court throughout the day’s proceedings where senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League Moonis Elahi was brought in an armored vehicle amid high security.

Moonis Elahi moves Supreme Court for early hearing of review petition

September 5, 2011

Moonis Elahi, senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League and son of senior federal minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, on Monday filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of his pending review petition.

He prayed the court to fix his review petition along with his stay application for September 9 to meet the ends of justice. The petitioner contended that if his review petition was not heard along with his stay application at an early date, he would suffer irreparable losses and injury to his person as well as reputation, as the hearing of these matters after completion of wrongful, biased, incorrect and inimical investigation would render the fate of these matters before the court infructuous and thus the ends of justice would be frustrated.

On August 18, Moonis filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict of August 8 wherein the apex court reassigned the NICL scam investigation to Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Additional Director General Zafar Ahmed Qureshi. On August 8, the Supreme Court had quashed the suspension order of Zafar Qureshi and directed him to resume his task in recovering the looted money. The court had directed Zafar Qureshi to carry out investigation of the case and asked him to complete the investigation of the cases expeditiously. In his review petition on August 18, Moonis contended that the Supreme Court’s decision of reassigning the NICL scam investigation to Zafar Qureshi was made without hearing his contentions, reservations and point of view, which was against the norms of justice. Thus, he had contended that the decision needed to be reviewed in the best interest of justice.

Moonis Elahi challenges Zafar Qureshi’s reposting

ISLAMABAD - Moonis Elahi has challenged the Supreme Court’s decision for reassigning NICL case investigation to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer Zafar Qureshi.

Moonis Elahi, who is a PML-Q leader and son of Ch Pervaiz Elahi, is the main accused in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam.

On Thursday, he filed the review petition through Babar Awan against the apex court’s decision to repost FIA Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi in the multi-billion rupee scam. The sources told The Nation that former law minister and PPP leader Babar Awan, in his capacity as a counsel of Moonis, would file two more petitions in the Supreme Court in order to prevent Zafar Qureshi from investigating NICL scam.

In his Thursday’s plea he prayed the court to remove Qureshi as head of the investigation team, claiming that Qureshi may not investigate the case impartially because on February 17, 2011 he had filed a written statement at the Supreme Court stating Moonis Elahi was threatening him. Therefore, it was unlikely that Qureshi would conduct an unbiased investigation, he added.

Babar contended that the court had reposted Zafar Qureshi to investigate NICL case without hearing his point of view which was against the interest of the justice and Article 10A of the constitution. He pleaded the court to admit his review petition for hearing his stance. He said his client has expressed confidence in all the members of the investigation team except Qureshi. The counsel also requested that the court should stop the investigation of the case till the decision on review petition.

The court on August 8 had quashed the federal government’s order regarding the suspension of FIA ADG Zafar Qureshi and directed him to resume NICL probe forthwith and complete the inquiry expeditiously.

The hearing of Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition in the NICL case has been adjourned to 6 September

Lahore (August 18, 2011) The hearing of Moonis Elahi’s acquittal petition in the NICL case has been adjourned to 6 September on the request of Additional Director General FIA Zaffar Qureshi.  Today as soon as the NICL case hearing began in the court of District Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem, FIA’s Zaffar Qureshi moved a written request asking for a one month adjournment.  The learned judge after a short suspension of proceedings accepted Zaffar Qureshi’s request.  On this unexpected decision, Moonis Elahi’s lawyers argued that the adjournment of the acquittal petition was a clear violation of the written order dated 18 May 2011 of a three member Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry according to which the courts were fully independent in trying Moonis Elahi and they were not to be influenced by the trial of the NICL case in the Supreme Court.  The said order was issued on the request that Moonis Elahi was not getting his due legal relief because the NICL case was also being heard in the Supreme Court, further argued Moonis Elahi’s lawyers.

Rai Bashir Ahmed advocate arguing in the court said that in his 40 years of legal experience never before had an investigation officer ordered the court to grant him one month period for investigation.  The investigation officer of the said case is Chaudhry Ashgar who is still to appear in the court, pleaded Moonis Elahi’s lawyer. He further pleaded that Zaffar Qureshi had deliberately misinformed the court about being unable to complete the investigation due to his transfer on April 18, 2011. He argued that Zaffar Qureshi on March 21, 2011 had informed the honourable court of having completed investigations in two cases and of submitting final case challans. He said that the court should take action against Zaffar Qureshi for furnishing false information to the court. Moonis Elahi’s defence lawyer accused the FIA of turning the case into a personal feud after failing to bring up anything against his client. Later talking to the media, Moonis Elahi’s team of defence lawyers said that they would contest today’s decision right up to the Supreme Court. They particularly pointed out at the honourable judge’s unwarranted suspension of today’s court proceedings twice for 10 and 45 minutes respectively and for staying in the retiring room without specifying any reason.

Earlier, Moonis Elahi was brought amid tight security to the court. A large number of PML workers had come to show their solidarity with the incarcerated leader including Abdullah Yousaf Warraich, Aamna Ulfat, Samina Khawar Hayyat, Seemal Kamran, Umer Farooq Dar.

An open letter of Mr. Moonis Elahi, Addressed to All Pakistanis Including the Ideological Workers of Pakistan Muslim League

An open letter of Mr. Moonis Elahi, Senior Central Leader Pakistan Muslim League

Addressed to All Pakistanis Including the Ideological Workers of Pakistan Muslim League (the Party Which Founded Pakistan)

Mian Nawaz Sharif’s statement on the eve of Pakistan’s 65^th Independence Day, pronouncing the Indian gods and culture similar as that of Pakistan is not only a sinister move to undermine the Two Nation theory but also a deliberate attempt at nullifying the sacrifices of countless Muslims for the creation of Pakistan.  It is apparent from his views that the Indian contract for weakening Pakistan’s ideological foundations has been awarded to “Sharif Brothers & Co” who have their head offices located at Jaati Umra of Amritsar, India and their sub-office at Jaati Umra, Raiwind.  

It is a great historical fact and an undeniable reality that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam.  The Muslims of the Sub-continent struggled for independence under the leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to live in a society that believed in one God unlike the Hindus who worshipped several gods and goddesses. “The Muslims are a separate nation from the Hindus. Our religion, history, culture, architecture, ways of living and eating habits are diametrically opposed to them”, said the Quaid.

But today, a Pakistani politician who claims to head a faction of Muslim League (the very party which founded Pakistan) has the audacity to challenge the very ethos of Pakistan. What a shame, and that too at a time when the nation is going through the toughest period in its history.

Ironically, in the same speech delivered before his Indian guests, the self-styled “amir ul momineen” while enumerating the similarities between Muslims of Pakistan and the predominantly Hindu India identified the dish of “potatoes and meat” (aalu gosht) as one great similarity. One does not have words to condemn this most fickle exercise at finding commonalities between the two most diverse faiths and nations. If “aalu gosht” is what MNS considers as a binding force between India and Pakistan then he should have kept in mind that the meat Indians relish the most is that of the innocent Kashmiri Mussalmans.

The founding fathers of Pakistan must be turning in their graves at this most preposterous and horrific statement made by a Pakistani politician.

We, Pakistanis have suffered tremendous political and financial blows at the hands of Sharif Brothers and Co and they have been getting away with them, but this time round it will be unpatriotic to let them go Scot free. It is now time to put Nawaz Sharif in the dock and the charge should be of staging treason against the Ideology of Pakistan and hatching a conspiracy against the people of Pakistan. I will end my statement with words of a senior Pakistani journalist known for his patriotic views who said “if Nawaz Sharif has such soft corner for Hindus then he should shift his Jaati Umra residence to Amritsar”. 

An open letter of Mr. Moonis Elahi, Addressed to All Pakistanis including the Ideological Workers of Pakistan Muslim League

Moonis Elahi case adjourned until August 18

LAHORE : August 16

HEARING of the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam against Moonis Elahi and others has been adjourned until August 18 as the judge concerned, Mujahid Mustaqeem, is on leave. On Tuesday, counsel for the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) had to record arguments before District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem on an application filed by Moonis Elahi, seeking his acquittal in the case under 265-K of CrPC.

NICL scam: Moonis Elahi's case adjourned till 16th August

LAHORE: District and Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqeem adjourned till August 16, the hearing NICL land scam case of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi as his counsel completed arguments on acquittal application of FIR no 46/10 on Saturday.Appearing before the court Advocate Amjad Pervaiz the counsel of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi accused of National Insurance Company Limited land scam argued and tried to prove that Moonis Elahi the son of former Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhary Parvaiz Elahi had nothing to do with the land scam of NICL.He argued that all the witnesses of the case who had recorded their statements against Ch. Moonis had denied any sort of involvement of Moonis Elahi in above said scam. He argued that the letter written by Deputy Director FIA to the director FIA about any role of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi in the scam revealed that Moonis was not involve in it. Pervaiz Said repeated all the arguments put in front of special magistrate of banking court Malik Abudur Rasheed.

He said that the statements recorded under section 161 of Penal code could not prove allegations leveled against Moonis as they all refused to say anything which could identify implication of Moonis in land scam of NICL.‘Total amount was paid back to NICL’ he said, adding that ‘admittedly there is no allegations neither I nor my family gave him instruction to transfer said money and admittedly at the time of occurrence of NICL scam neither I nor my family held the portfolio in the management of NICL’. 

He further said that the statements of PW4 in case and IO of the scam had so much significance which showed that the case against Moonis was case of no evidence.A number of people including lawyers, media men and supporters of PML-Q leader Chaudhary Moonis Elahi were present in the court. Proceeding started at 12:20 pm and continued for almost two hours. Amjad Pervaiz, the counsel of Chaudhary Moonis Elahi fought well and put every thing related and to the point about the case to prove that his client was not involved in it but FIA got him involved on malafied intentions.

He completed his arguments on the case based on FIR number 46/10.The Judge adjourned the hearing till August 16 and FIA officials would appear and argue on the case.

FIA Investigation Officer denies Moonis involvement in NICL scam case

Thursday, June 23, 2011

LAHORE

The FIA deputy director and investigation officer (IO) of National Industrial Corporation Limited (NICL) land scam on Wednesday denied Moonis Elahi’s involvement in the main fraud case of Rs.168 billion. 

During his testimony before special banking offences court, the FIA director, Basharat Shahzad, stated that Moonis was not directly involved in subsequent two fraud cases of Rs.320 million. 

Meanwhile, another prosecution witness, Hina Rabbai, an employee of the Allied Bank Limited, Multan Road branch, also denied recording of any statement as witness before the FIA. On Wednesday, FIA produced Moois Elahi before the court amid tight security.

The FIA deputy director, during cross examination, said that Moonis was not involved in NICL main scam of Rs. 1.68 billion. The whole embezzled amount had also been returned to Commerce secretary, he added. 

On this, Moonis counsel asked if his client was also involved in other two FIRs(24/10 and 46/11) related to the scam. 

Replying to Moonis counsel, Bashart said that Moonis was not directly involved in both FIRs. He stated that, after getting a questionnaire from Moonis, he had written a letter to the FIA director general that Moonis was not directly involved in both of the subsequent FIRs. 

Meanwhile, Hinna Rabbani, while recording her statement, said that FIA had called her on February 5 at about 9pm in FIA office, asking her to record her statement as witness against Moonis but she had not recorded any statement against him. 

Summoning further prosecution witnesses, the court adjourned the hearing by June 28. 

According to the FIA, Moonis had opened bogus accounts in the name of his manager Abdul Malik and his wife for corruption in NICL. 

Later, the FIA lodged two FIRs against Moonis Elahi, alleging that his manger Muhammad Malik had opened forged accounts in Allied Bank Limited, New Airport, and Dubai Islamic Bank Main Boulevard branch. Mohsin Warriach deposited Rs. 320 million, 220 million in first account and 100 million in second account. First FIR was registered on December 27, 2010 while the second was lodged on January 27 this year. 

The FIA alleged that the money was actually taken by Moonis Elahi. As per FIA report, Malik had stated that he had opened an account on the instruction of Moonis and an amount of Rs.220 million was allegedly transferred in that account. Later, Malik was resiled from his statement. Eight prosecution witnesses while recoding their statements before a magisterial court also denied recording any statement as witness to the FIA. 

Prosecution witnesses deny Moonis Elahi's accounts

Lahore (16-06-2011) The four prosecution witnesses named in the NICL case against senior Pakistan Muslim League leader Moonis Elahi have today completely rejected the FIA version. Testifying before the special judge Banking Court in Lahore the witnesses have denied opening of any bank account by Moonis Elahi’s manager Mohammad Maalik and have informed the learned court that the accounts in question were personally opened and operated by two individuals namely Adil Manzur and Khadim Rasul.

Earlier when Moonis Elahi was brought to the court amid tight security he was welcomed by a large number of party leaders and workers. Before the start of the proceedings Moonis Elahi addressed the Banking Court judge Abdul Rasheed and expressed his complete faith in the impartiality of the judiciary.

In today’s proceedings, statements of four prosecution witnesses belonging to Allied Bank were recorded. They included three Allied Bank airport branch employees Omar Farooq Dhami(officer), Nadia Faisal (Manager Customer Services), Shaukat Hussain (Rider)  and Mohammad Atif Saleem (Manager Customer Services)working at Allied Bank, Multan Road branch. Mohammad Atif Saleem in his statement before the learned judge testified that the FIA officials threatened him of dire consequences and coerced him into signing on a blank page which was against banking rules. He stated that Khadim Rasul had opened the account at his branch and was solely operating it. He informed the court that he had visited the FIA office a few times but had never recorded any statement with them. Omar Dhami in his statement testified that the FIA authorities had required him to provide the relevant bank record which he complied but at no point had he recorded his statement with the FIA. He testified that the FIA officials forced him to sign on a blank page and he was not aware of the contents of the statement later attributed to him by the FIA officials. Nadia Faisal in her statement apprized the court that one Adil Manzur had approached the bank for opening an account and the said account was opened after verifying his national identity card from NADRA. The third prosecution witness, Shaukat Hussain testified before the court that he had seen Adil Manzur opening the bank account and was not aware of anything else. The court was reconvened at 3 pm on the insistence of Moonis Elahi’s counsels where the statements of the fourth prosecution witness, Mohammad Atif Saleem along with the FIA investigation officer were recorded. The court was later adjourned till June 22.

Later talking to the media, Moonis Elahi’s counsel Rai Bashir Ahmad said that four out of five prosecution witnesses had refuted the statements attributed to them by the FIA officials against Moonis Elahi and the prosecution had failed to obtain anything against Moonis Elahi from them. He said that the prosecution witnesses had repeated the statements which they had earlier recorded with a magistrate where they had said that the accounts were personally opened and operated by Adil Manzur and Khadim Rasul. 

Production orders for Moonis Elahi sough

LAHORE - PML-Q has asked Punjab Assembly Speaker to issue production orders of Moonis Elahi for taking part in the budget session. 
Chaudhry Zaheer-ud-Din, PML-Q parliamentary party leader in Punjab Assembly, through a letter on Tuesday asked the Speaker to issue production orders of Moonis Elahi following the rules of business of the Punjab Assembly, while Moonis has the privilege to participate in the assembly proceedings. He said that the presence of Moonis in the budget session was of paramount importance as an elected member of the House. 
Meanwhile, PML-Q leader condemning provincial government for rolling back Punjab government’s security from PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior federal minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi warned that provincial government would be responsible for any untoward incident. 
He demanded of the Punjab CM to present the report of investigation commission formed sometime back regarding the flood devastating floods in Southern Punjab last year to overcome our s0hortcomings to counter the natural calamities in a better way. 
Zaheer said that ‘Q’ would devise its budget session’s strategy after consulting with senior leadership, however they would follow the conduct of ‘N’ during the budget at the Parliament. He observed that ‘N’ wanted to grab every position without having majority.

Punjab government told to beef up security for Moonis Elahi

LAHORE, April 13: The interior ministry has asked the Punjab government to beef up security for PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi owing to threats to his life.

According to an interior ministry’s letter, “credible information has been received that there is a threat to the life of Moonis and extra precautions at the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) rest house in the Cantonment area may kindly be taken up.

“The security personnel employed there may also be checked.”

The Punjab government has not taken any stringent arrangement for the security of the PML-Q leader despite concerns from the Federal Investigation Agency.

Zafar Qureshi is using the state machinery to besmear the political image and credibility of the Moonis Elahi

Lahore (11-04-2011)  Kamil Ali Agha, Information Secretary of Pakistan Muslim League and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin PML Parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly have unanimously condemned the Additional Director General FIA Zafar Ahmad Qureshi over his latest round of false accusation leveled against Moonis Elahi. They have said that despite all out efforts the FIA has failed to come up with even and iota of proof against Moonis Elahi and yet is continuing with a malicious and baseless media trial against him. 

The two PML leaders have flayed Zafar Ahmad Qureshi for his vindictive, unfair and biased behavior and have accused him of providing the media with false and contrived charges against Moonis Elahi. They have strongly condemned Zafar Qureshi’s latest attempt at implicating the women family members of Moonis Elahi. The two leaders have jointly slated the Additional Director General FIA Zafar Qureshi for abusing the state machinery to besmear the political image and credibility of the Chaudhry family. They have said that the FIA’s malicious and baseless campaign against Moonis Elahi has no credibility in the eyes of the public as well as the courts.