The bombshell that his counsel had warned the nation Malik Riaz would drop appeared in the form of serious insinuations against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry when he addressed a press conference at Islamabad on Tuesday, after his first appearance before the Supreme Court in the case of Arsalan Iftikhar. However, when the journalists assembled there raised questions about his observations that had been phrased as somewhat rhetorical questions, he refused to answer them, insisting that he was not responsible for doing so; he had said all he wanted to say. Malik Riaz threatened to hold another press conference later to reveal still more incriminating evidence that would jolt the entire nation, alluding that it would also be directed against the CJ. Strangely, he insisted that he had great respect for him and the judiciary, acknowledging that despite all the favours he had done to Arsalan on his assurance of getting the court cases against him discharged, he did not get any relief.

The three insinuations Malik Riaz made were: the CJ must tell the nation how many meetings took place between him and Malik Riaz in the “darkness of night” and was Arsalan present on several of these occasions; were there meetings in the house of Ahmad Khalil and was there a sitting judge also present on one such occasion; and since when the CJ knew about the ‘facts’ of Arsalan’s case. Though Malik Riaz did not answer media questions, analysts have come forward with their comments, which, they claimed, were based on what they had learnt direct from Malik Riaz. Malik Riaz was calling on the CJ to assure him of restoring the deposed judiciary, including him, if only he promised not to take up the NRO issue. This request the CJ consistently turned down. But now Malik Riaz was trying to give it another angle, as if the CJ was meeting him for getting some favours from Malik Riaz. Secondly, Ahmad Khalil and Arsalan Iftikhar were best friends and it was upon insistence of Ahmad Khalil that Arsalan persuaded his father to attend a small Eid party in his house but quietly a little later the President and the Prime Minister also turned up. Earlier, Malik Riaz’s evidence of 33-pages was presented before the court, alleging that Arsalan received favours, in the form of trips abroad and cash, to the extent over Rs 342.5 million to have the cases against him dropped.
The attempts to defame the Chief Justive, using the accusations against his son, are in order to pressure him into resigning. This, when he is doing a remarkable job in laying bare before the world the grievous wrongs the various institutions of the government and others in society are doing to the nation and is making every effort to set things right. The accusers must be held accountable before the law. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry must stay in office. As for his son and Malik Riaz, let the law take what course it must and those in the wrong accorded the proper punishment.