Pak Government distances itself over CJI Row

Islamabad. The Government of Pakistan has decided to keep it away from the controversy over payments allegedly made to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s son to influence cases in the Supreme Court.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had met last night to discuss about this issue. The duo has decided that they will neither talk about the issue in the cabinet, nor they discuss it in the media.

“The meeting decided that no coalition party should get involved in the controversy,” Haji Muhammad Adeel of the Awami National Party told the media after the meeting.

The leaders discussed about their strategy for the upcoming general election and the situation in the country, the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying.

Zardari asked the coalition leaders not to issue statements on the matter, the sources said.

“It is a matter between two individuals and why should we become a party to it?” Adeel said.

Asked about allegations that Zardari had a role in the charges levelled by real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, Adeel said: “Neither the President nor the Prime Minister has any link with the case and this has also been stated by (the tycoon) in his press conference on Tuesday.”

Adeel acknowledged that the case involving the tycoon and the Chief Justice’s son would go on for “some time and would have multiple dimensions