ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday took notice of former top judge of the Gilgit Appellate Court’s statement, accusing former chief justice Saqib Nisar of ‘keeping’ former premier Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in prison till the general elections of 2018.
The notice was taken by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. The former chief justice of Gilgit Appellate Court, Rana Shamim, has been issued a contempt of court notice along with the chief editor of the newspaper and its news editor.
Meanwhile, the court has summoned Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan in the matter along with all the other parties on Tuesday morning.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah held an urgent hearing and took the decision to summon the above-mentioned persons after the Islamabad High Court Registry took notice of the report.
During the hearing, Justice Minallah said the court will treat this matter very seriously, adding that an attempt has been made to shake the people’s confidence in the judiciary. Justice Minallah will preside over the hearing tomorrow at 10:30am.
The allegations
A report in The News had stated that then CJP Saqib Nisar had directed a high court judge to not release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 General Elections.
“Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he (Saqib Nisar) became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea,” this is what is said in the affidavit of the former top judge of GB talking about the then chief justice of Pakistan.
Justice (retd) Saqib Nisar refutes allegations
However, the former chief justice Nisar said that the accusations levelled against him by the former chief justice of Gilgit Appellate Court Rana Shamim were “contrary to the facts”.
Speaking to the media, Nisar said he didn’t want to respond to the “plain lies” of the ex-GB chief justice. Nisar said Shamim had asked him for an extension but he didn’t accept his request, adding that the ex-GB CJ had also complained to him about the same.
Rana Shamim sticks to his story
However, Shamim has not taken back his allegations. Sticking to his statement, the ex-GB CJ responded that former CJP Saqib Nisar had no authority to extend his Shamim’s tenure.
Talking to Geo News, Shamim said that he would stick to everything he had said. He said that Saqib Nisar was a guest of him in Gilgit. “I did not spend any government money on Saqib Nisar’s visit to Gilgit,” he added.
He further said that he did not feel any need to ask for an extension in his tenure and that the former CJP had no authority to extend his tenure as per law. “Who is Saqib Nisar to give me an extension?” he asked.
Rana Shamim added that he could not say when and to whom the affidavit was given, but that the Supreme Courts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir are not subordinate to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
