By IANS
Islamabad : Suspended Pakistan chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry's had "pressurised" top officials and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to allot him a Mercedes car, an official has alleged in a counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court.
All the officials who admitted to have succumbed to Chaudhry's "pressures" are now liable to punishment under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance, The News reported Tuesday.
The officials have countered claims made by Chaudhry in his affidavit he filed in the apex court, which is hearing several petitions pertaining to his suspension and subsequent disputes between him and the government.
President Pervez Musharraf suspended Chaudhry March 9, accusing him of using his office to get a posting for his son Arsalan. Chaudhry has denied the charge and is in the eye of a nationwide agitation by lawyers, supported by opposition parties.
But Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Yousaf has said in his affidavit that he was compelled by Chaudhry to appoint his son as a section officer, despite there being no available post in the technical cadre.
Yousaf said he obliged because he "could not afford the displeasure" of the chief justice.
According to the affidavits filed, Prime Minister Aziz too is among those who had succumbed to the top judge's "pressures" and sanctioned a Mercedes Benz car for Chaudhry – something he was not entitled to. Aziz, however, is not among the official witnesses.
Chief of Staff to the President Lt Gen (retd) Hamid Javaid said in his affidavit that Chaudhry, in his statement, had tried to create an impression of the Mercedes Benz car having been sent to him by the prime minister "of his own volition".
"Being dissatisfied with the 1993 model car, the chief justice started demanding its replacement with a 2004 model Mercedes Benz. He kept pressing the matter until the prime minister approved the replacement of the car in February 2006," he was quoted as saying.
Other witnesses, including Yousaf, Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao and Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah, admitted in writing to have favoured Chaudhry beyond his entitlement.
A legal expert of the NAB said they were all liable to punishment. "If you are vested with some trust or authority, you are responsible for its discharge in accordance with law," the expert said on conditions of anonymity.
But questions have been raised about why NAB has not initiated action against the accused officials till now.