Supreme Judicial Council summons judge accused of links with criminals

[Naveed Yaseen]

(Naveed adds: The video recording of Nanho Goraya's confession statement may be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpf48NUeMug)

By Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui
ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the country’s history, the Supreme Judicial Council has initiated suo moto proceedings against a high court chief justice over allegations of involvement in murky activities including connections with the crime underworld, judicial sources told The News.

According to sources, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Mohammad Bilal Khan is in the knowledge of the SJC proceedings. The SJC is mandated to check misconduct, moral degradation and corruption in the higher echelon of the judiciary.

“The proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council are under process,” a senior judicial source said. He did not elaborate. The council has invoked the suo moto power available to the apex body under the provision of the 17th Constitutional Amendment for initiating the proceedings against the IHC chief justice.

When CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry resumed office after his reinstatement on March 24, he thanked the lawyers and the people of Pakistan for putting up a stout effort for independence of the judiciary. He also pledged to purge the judiciary of corrupt and inefficient people. Justice Iftikhar admitted that stories of corruption in the judiciary were becoming increasingly frequent in the public.

The March 9 appointment of Justice Bilal at the helm of the Islamabad High Court, set up under the infamous November 3 proclamation of emergency rule by then military ruler Pervez Musharraf, had sparked wide criticism in legal and poltical circles.

Editor Investigation The News, Ansar Abbasi broke the story on February 10, 2009, in which he quoted a police letter addressed to the Lahore High Court Chief Justice, regarding the confession of an arrested high-profile gangster, Fayyaz Rasool alias Nanno Goraya, about his links with Justice Bilal.

The Supreme Court last week asked Abbasi to provide the details and evidence on the basis of which he had filed the stories on February 10 and 11. Abbasi said he received an order from the office of Supreme Court registrar for providing documentary evidence in support of his stories regarding the judge and his connections with Goraya.

“I have furnished all the evidence including a CD containing confessions of Fayyaz Rasool alias Nanno Goraya, in which he boasts of his contact with then Lahore High Court judge Justice Bilal. Other pieces of evidence included inquiry report of SP Syed Ali Mohsin into the case, Cheema’s letter to the Inspector General of Police and the statement by the LHC Chief Justice Zahid Hussain in which he confirmed receiving police letter regarding Justice Bilal’s connection with Goraya.”

The police interrogation report contains the revelations of Nanno Goraya regarding his network and connections with political and bureaucratic elite of the country. The letter of the RPO, Zulfikar Cheema, gives details of police investigation and his findings. One paragraph of this letter, which was also submitted to the Supreme Court, reads: “As regards the interrogation report of the notorious underworld don Fayyaz Rasool alias Nanno Goraya, it is submitted that a team head by SP/CIA Gujranwala Mr Ali Mohsin interrogated him thoroughly to unearth his network and supporters, etc. SP/CIAs report, in which Nanno Goraya had made startling revelations about his meeting with a high court judge, brought the shock of my life. Sometimes back, the sitting MPA (PPP) from Gujranwala city came to my office and told me that one Baoo Khalid used to run gambling dens in Gujranwala and no police officer could dare proceed against him as he (the den runner) was protected by the said judge of the LHC. The same was corroborated by dozens of other well-informed persons, including some journalists of Gujranwala. The interrogation report also supported the links of the same judge of the high court with criminals like Nanno Goraya and Baoo Khalid, nothing can be more dangerous for any society if the individuals have their supporter in the judiciary. Therefore, the report was a matter of great concern for me as a professional police officer. The connections of judge of the high court with criminals would have brought the image and reputation of entire judiciary into question. Therefore, the issue of such links would have been a matter of greater concern for the high court itself.”

The letter concludes: “It is requested that the whole matter should be examined by a judicial forum in accordance with the highest traditions of justice and fair play. But, if facts are slaughtered for expediencies and institutional prejudices, then there would be a deluge God forbid. Then every face, every wall, every door and every building of this country would be bearing these words of Faiz Ahmad Faiz: Banay Hain Ahl-e-Hawas Muddaee bhi Munsif bhi, Kisay Wakeel Karain Kis say Munsafi Chahain.”

SJC Secretary Dr Faqir Hussain was not immediately available for comments.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=21302