State Aristocracy’s Pakistan – 11: Avenging the law!

LHC stays proceedings in PML-Q MPs damages suits

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday stayed the proceeding of a civil court hearing Rs 50 million damages suits of PML-Q MNA Ch Wajahat Hussain and MPA Moonis Elahi against former additional deputy inspector general FIA and investigation officer of NICL scam case, Zafar Qureshi.

The court issued this order on a petition moved by Zafar Qureshi challenging order of lower court wherein his plea for dismissal of suit was rejected.Chaudhrys of Gujrat had filed suits against Qureshi alleging that he had tarnished the image of their family and damaged their political goodwill to a great extent. 

Zafar Qureshi through his counsel Khawaja Saeeduz Zafar contended that he had no personal grudge against Moonis Elahi or his family and conducted investigation purely on merit in the light of Supreme Court’s directions. 

He pointed out that such suits could not be filed against the investigation officers and he got recovered billions of rupees from accused persons involved in the case.He requested the court to stop civil court from further proceeding into the matter. After hearing the initial arguments, Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa stayed civil court proceedings and sought replies from respondents.

Link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-5-156836-LHC-stays-proceedings-in-PML-Q-MPs-damages-suits

[The News, January 29, 2013]   

Slander suits: LHC stays proceedings against FIA investigator

LAHORE: Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa of the Lahore High Court on Monday stayed proceedings of two damages suits filed by PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and MPA Moonis Elahi against Zafar Qureshi, the FIA investigating officer of the NICL scam.

The judge issued this order on a petition filed by Qureshi, former additional director general of the FIA, pleading that he had conducted an inquiry into the NICL scam on merit following the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said Moonis Elahi, one of the suspects in the scam, and his uncle Wajahat Hussain had filed suits against him for libel. He said under law such suits could not be filed against the investigating officer of a case.

He said he had no personal grudge against Elahi or his family. He said he had recovered billions of rupees from the suspects. He prayed to the court to set aside the proceedings on the damages suits pending before a civil court for being illegal. The judge stayed the proceedings and sought replies from the respondents by March 12, the next hearing.

Link: http://tribune.com.pk/story/499895/slander-suits-lhc-stays-proceedings-against-fia-investigator/

[The Express Tribune, January 29, 2013]