'Disappointed' Amin Faheem tells counsel not to argue case
04 April, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party's senior leader and former commerce minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim has stopped his counsel from defending him before the Supreme Court in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scandal.
While talking to our sources, SM Zafar said that his client has instructed him to not argue the case because he has not been heard despite his 15th appearance before the apex court in this matter. The counsel said that he had asked Advocate-on-Record (AoR) to inform the apex court in this regard. On March 27, SM Zafar had told the court that it was his 15th appearance in the case and he had made several requests for hearing of his point of view, but they were rejected. He also said that he had always respected the courts, but his patience was running out.
Meanwhile, a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday directed a trial court in Karachi to proceed against Makhdoom Amin Fahim in accordance with law in the land scandal of the NICL without being influenced by the hearings in the apex court. Disposing of the proceedings in the NICL case, the court also directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) DG to consider taking action against the investigators who are responsible for delaying the investigations.
"FIA has submitted charge sheet against Amin Fahim and former commerce secretary Salman Ghani for appointing Muhammad Ayaz Khan Niazi as chairman NICL, the man who purchased 10 acre land in Korangi at exorbitant price," FIA Director (Legal) Azam Khan told the bench. The FIA official said almost all the money of the NICL had been recovered in Karachi episode of the scandal, as the land was purchased at the cost of Rs 900 million, whereas the market price was Rs 482 million, and Rs 41 million was credited to the account of Amin Fahim.
Reading from a report submitted by FIA DG, the law officer said that during a meeting of the agency's high-ups with commerce secretary it had been decided that the cases would be pursued in trial courts both by the FIA and NICL.
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