Not favoring Malik Riaz, AGP tells SC

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Irfan Qadir on Thursday submitted a reply in response to the Supreme Court’s (SC) notice issued to him in connection with the Dr Arsalan Iftikhar–Malik Riaz case.
On August 30, the Supreme Court, in its ruling on Dr Arsalan’s review petition against its own order, criticized the attorney general for hiding the fact that he had appeared as counsel for Malik Riaz in the past, and said the court would not have tasked him with any responsibility in this case had he disclosed this fact. In his five-page reply submitted to the SC Registrar’s Office, Qadir, who had been mandated to “set the machinery of the state in motion” in order to bring to book “all those who may have committed any illegal act,” stated that there was no conflict of interest in the execution of his duties as attorney general.
Qadir further stated that he was not representing any party in the case, but was simply assisting the apex court. He said he had not committed any wrongdoing and that he had not exceeded from the mandate assigned to him by the court. He said that as attorney general, he had not favored any party, and had only responded to legal points brought up by the bench. Qadir said that the Supreme Court had directed him to “set the machinery of the state in motion” in the case, adding that, he had done nothing that could benefit Malik Riaz. He added that he had spoken on record that a fair trial should be conducted in the case. The attorney general, however, raised objection to the commission formed by the court to investigate the controversy. Qadir said that he was amazed as to “how the judges thought of Shoaib Suddle” to lead the investigation.