IHC registrar raises objections over petition

ISLAMABAD – Registrar Office of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday raised some objections over a petition seeking details of a loan secured by incumbent Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Mansoor Ali Shah that he later allegedly got written off as the managing director of Mansoor Textile Mills and Aaj Textiles.

The Registrar Office said that the petitioner could avail alternate remedy before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and further that the drafting of this writ petition was offensive.

Now, the court will take up this matter as an objection case on August 28th when the petitioner will try to remove the objections raised by the office.

The petition was moved by a lawyer Anwar Dar through his counsel Inamur Rahiem (Advocate) and cited the Federation of Pakistan through secretary Finance Division (respondent no 1), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan through its chairman (respondent no 2), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman (respondent no 3), State Bank of Pakistan governor (respondent no 4) and Pakistan Bar Council secretary (respondent no 5) as respondents.

The petitioner stated that he was shocked when he came across a news report published in the newspapers dated August 8th, 2016 and the same was widely circulated in the national and social media. The press report disclosed that, apart from politicians, retired generals, a senior sitting judge of LHC Justice Mansoor Ali Shah also got a loan and got it written off as managing director Mansoor Textile Mills and Aaj Textiles during 2004, which was neither contradicted nor withdrawn till date. “That the applicant obtained from the Senate a list of loan defaulters submitted by Finance Ministry wherein it has been revealed that LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah son of Jamat Ali Shah got the loan written off, when he was looking after his family business as director/shareholder Aaj Textile Mills and Mansoor Textile Mills,” said the petitioner.

He continued that the LHC chief justice in the media categorically denied it, saying that he disassociated himself from his family business 30 years ago, but Justice Mansoor is still looking after his family business till date. Anwar added that the LHC chief justice through a press release announced that he held properties in Lahore, Islamabad and Dubai, however, he has not declared the money trail for the purchase of property in Dubai. The petitioner has asked that when Justice Mansoor owned so many valuable properties then why he got monetary aid from the Government of Punjab for the treatment of his son.

Therefore, he prayed to the court to issue direction to the respondents No 1 and 4 to provide information regarding details of all the loans obtained and thereafter written off by his lordship Justice Mansoor Ali Shah as director/shareholder/beneficiary of his business of Mansoor Textile Mills, Aaj Textile Mills, Universal Oil and Vegetable Ghee Mills Ltd and any other industrial unit.

The petitioner also prayed to the court to issue direction to the respondent No 2 to provide information regarding the period during which Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remained director and beneficiary of Mansoor Textile Mills, Aaj Textile Mills and Universal Oil and Vegetable Ghee Mills Ltd and any other industrial unit.

The petitioner requested the court to issue further direction to the respondents No 3 and 4 to provide complete money trail concerning the LHC chief justice as to when the amount was transferred from Pakistan to Dubai for purchase of property and when was it reflected in the income tax return and detail of income tax returns for the period 1985 to 2010.

He further requested the court to issue direction to the respondent No 5 to provide complete record of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah as an advocate and the date/period during which he had his license suspended if any.

Source: The Nation