21st January 2012, 14:03
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First Class Captain
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Debut: Aug 2010
Runs: 4,444
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The many twists and turns in Babar Awan’s life, career
Quote:
The many twists and turns in Babar Awan’s life, career
ISLAMABAD: Many cases against would-be law minister Babar Awan especially the Bank of Punjab scam remained unsolved and inquiry reports conducted on the orders of the Supreme Court still await directions of the apex court to be implemented.
It has been frequently seen that the apex court shows restraint dealing with complaints and inquiries against Babar Awan.
The court stopped further proceedings on the inquiry report of Bank of Punjab when it was divulged that his role in the scam had been established through independent and strong evidence.
The court avoided considering the issue of fake doctorate degree of Awan even after the United States Educational Foundation declared the Monticello University as a ‘fraud’.[/U] Babar Awan started his career as a property dealer in Iram Market in sector G-6/2 of Islamabad in mid eighties.
His property dealing office is still present in the same market, which is now managed by his brother. Awan was an activist of Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT), student wing of Jamat-e-Islami, in Asghar Mall College Rawalpindi and thus was against government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
He contested elections of college union in 1978 from the platform of IJT against the Liberal Panel and lost at the hands of one Muhammad Naeem currently serving as Director APP. According to his old friends, Awan after losing the elections joined Liberal Panel and later become assistant of Raja Zafarul Haq (Now Chairman PML-N) who at that time was known as ‘opening batsman’ of dictator General Ziaul Haq.
His old pals from the 70s also remember that Awan distributed sweets on the day of hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Awan remained close to the king’s men of the third military dictator and visited Saudi Arabia to have some classes in Madina University on a scholarship. Awan was extremely grieved on the death of General Ziaul Haq and served as the stage secretary on all the initial anniversary proceedings of the dictator on August 17 for some years.
Ijazul Haq, son of General Ziaul Haq had told The News that Babar Awan was their active member and had played a key role in arrangements of all the anniversary processions of his father. In early 90s the people of Islamabad came to know that Babar Awan, whose property business was progressing, had got some law degree form University of Karachi and became a lawyer.
Awan excelled in criminal side as a lawyer and soon got closer to some key PPP leaders and finally reached to Benazir Bhutto to represent her in accountability courts’ cases.
However, Babar Awan’s affiliation remained with the remnants of the Zia regime and contested the 1997 elections on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (headed by Ejazul Haq) and again lost the elections.
Babar Awan once told The News that after contesting some of the cases of Benazir Bhutto he had requested her to push him politically.
BB gave the National Assembly seat ticket to Awan in 2002 elections from Islamabad but he lost the elections again but succeeded to get a Senate seat from BB in 2006.
Babar always remained against the independent judiciary and opposed the restoration of the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry after the later was made dysfunctional by General Musharraf on March 9, 2007 in a scenario when even PPP was supporting restoration of the CJ.
After PPP came into power in 2008, Awan continued to oppose the restoration of independent judiciary which this time was sacked by General Musharraf on November 3, 2007 after PPP leadership had signed a deal with Musharraf and NRO was promulgated on October 5, 2007.
After restoration of judiciary as a result of a historic Long March on March 16, 2009 Awan continued to attack the dignity of courts and also started talking of Sindhis against Punjabis and about Takht-e-Lahore repeatedly.
A high-level inquiry report into some top lawyers’ alleged corruption in the Harris Steel case as ordered by the Supreme Court, found independent and credible evidence against Awan and ex-Attorney General Malik Qayyum.
The inquiry report was prepared by a team of investigators led by additional IGP Punjab Aftab Sultan. The report disclosed that inquiry committee had received independent evidence against Awan and Qayyum with regard to the alleged money that they had received from Shaikh Afzal to get a choice decision from the Dogar Court.
Two independent witnesses, including Malik Ravid Sami, who is based in the UAE, and one Sarfraz Merchant, substantiated in their statements the allegations, which were levelled by Shaikh Afzal and his manager Irfan Ali against Babar Awan and Malik Qayyum. However, the fate of this inquiry is still unknown.
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http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrin...ID=88401&Cat=2
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