Pakistani Talk Show Off The Record 7 Sep 2010 with Kashif Abbasi: Discussion on Judiciary versus Government row on NAB PG Irfan Qadir’s removal, implementation of SC orders, etc. Also: MQM Chief Altaf Hussain’s oft repeated call for revolution by patriotic generals. Guests: Hanif Abbasi (PML-N), Justice (R) Tariq Mehmood (SC Lawyer), Sen. Syed Faisal Raza Abidi (PPP)

Pakistani Talk Show Tonight With Najam Sethi 6 Sep 2010: Discussion on the ongoing Govt vs Judiciary row leading to the sacking of the NAB Prosecutor General Mr. Irfan Qadir and his attempt to resist it including Govt’s reaction on the SC verdict and Qadir’s behavior..

PKonweb Report

An accountability court has sent Suhail Zia Butt, former member of the National Assembly from Muslim League (Nawaz), to jail for three years on bank loan default case.

The officials of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented Suhail Zia Butt before the court today. NAB officials informed the court that Butt was convicted for three years in the year 2000 for defaulting on a Rs 80 million loan from the Cooperative Bank. Butt failed to appear before the court. He also did not appeal against the sentencing then, officials told the court.

The accountability court ordered implementation of the sentence.

Suhail Butt, told the court that he didn’t appear before the court then because he was not issued any notice to appear.

According to unconfirmed reports, Sohail Zia Butt is the second cousin of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and first cousin of Nawaz Sharif’s wife Kalsoom Nawaz. He remains a very close aide of Nawaz Sharif – the PML-N Quaid. Butt is also a brother-in-law of Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif.

One website claims Butt’s family is originally from Kashmir who settled in Lahore. In the early twentieth century, the Butt family gained fame as wrestlers. The website claims Butt in the 90s was called the “King of Heera Mandi” and was also involved in financing the Kashmir movement.

Sohail Butt’s son, Umar Suhail Butt, is presently MNA from Lahore.
Relatives of the accused told reporters that the case has “no basis and the PPP is trying to politically victimize us”.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Sohail on Sep 1 over charges of defaulting on a Rs80 million loan from National Industrial and Credit Finance Corporation.

Reference was sent to NAB in 2001 after Sohail Zia failed to return the loan. He was declared a proclaimed offender in absentia by an accountability court in 2001. He returned to Pakistan in 2008 before the elections after spending more than seven years abroad and no action had been taken against him for almost two years.

PML-N’s provincial minister Rana Sanaullah said: “The NAB officials did not take us into confidence before arresting Sohail Zia. I will contact the central government once the facts come to light.” NAB should not have acted like kidnappers, he added. “I am trying to contact NAB officials. “NAB should have informed the local police station before the arrest,” he added.

Butt is also accused of embezzling nearly Rs. 70 million in the Cooperative Scandal which surfaced in 1985.

The Express Tribune reported that Butt, the brother-in-law of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is not only a proclaimed offender in a case of financial embezzlement involving Rs230 million, but has also been found to be a defaulter of Rs10.28 million of the Punjab Cooperative Board of Liquidation (PCBL). This information emerged during investigation by the newspaper.

Pakistani Talk Show Policy Matters with Nasim Zehra discusses some new questions raised by PPP-led govt on independence and judicial activism of the present Judiciary and its Restoration by Executive Order, NAB and NRO, etc.: Guests: Mehreen Anwar Raja (PPP), Babar Sattar (Lawyer), Barrister Akram Sheikh (Ex-Pres SCBA)

Pakistani Talk Show Point Blank with Mubasher Lucman discusses NAB’s letter to Supreme Court full bench challenging their legality and credibility. Guests: Asma Jehangir (SC Lawyer), Abbas Athar (Analyst), Dr. Asghar Rana (NAB office)

Pakistani Talk Show Capital Talk with Hamid Mir: NAB tells Judiciary it has no legal standing. Has the confrontation begun? Guests: Rauf Klasra (Analyst), Sen. Syed Zafar Ali Shah (PML-N), Qazi Muhammad Anwar (Pres SCBA), Mehreen Anwar Raja (PPP)..

Pakistani Talk Show Kal Tak with Javed Chaudhry: NAB says present Judiciary is illegal. Corruption, Fake Degrees scam, NRO, Swiss cases and Executive-Judiciary row. Guests: Sen. Ishaq Dar (PML-N), Sen. Nayyar Hussain Bokhari (PPPP) and Sen. Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (MQM)

Pakistani Talk Show: Najam Sethi conducts exclusive interview with Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan on his role in lawyers’ movement, as counsel for Chief Justice Iftikhar during restoration case, his views on present executive-judiciary tussle, 18th amendment, NRO, NAB, Swiss Cases, etc..

ISLAMABAD: The NAB implementation episode continues to play out in the Supreme Court with the government dragging its feet on invariably every step post December 16 unanimous verdict against NRO.

Published reports say Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry today refused to receive a written reply regarding the appointment of Acting Chairman NAB in the court.

Chief Justice Iftikhar said the written reply should be submitted to the Supreme Court office, Dawnnews reported.

Acting Chairman NAB Javed Qazi and Prosecutor-General drafted a written reply to be submitted to the Supreme Court. However, Advocate-on-Record Chaudhry Akhtar refused to submit the reply due to inappropriate language used in it.

Speaking to DawnNews, Chaudhry Akhtar said that the reply used derogatory language against the judges which was why it could not be submitted to the court.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) reserved its decision regarding the appointment of Acting Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Javed Qazi and Prosecutor General of NAB, Geo News reported Wednesday.

The roller-coaster tipsy-turvy see-saw role of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and its status in the PPP-led government? Has NAB lost its teeth and become compliant and a joke? Guests: Fauzia Wahab (PPP), Barrister Akram Sheikh (Ex-Pres SCBA), Sen. Tariq Azeem (PML-Q)