ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) remains dissatisfied with the answers submitted by former chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Rana Shamim and other respondents in a contempt of court case arising from a report based on ‘leaked’ affidavit.
In the ‘leaked’ affidavit, dated November 10, 2021, Shamim allegedly stated that the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar during his visit to GB made a call to a judge and asked him to ensure that Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz are not granted bails before general elections 2018.
The alleged affidavit was published as part of an investigative report by local publication.
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IHC had given the deadline of December 13 to Rana Shamim to submit his original affidavit or else face indictment in the contempt of court case.
In its four-page long written order issued on December 7, the high court said the answers of the former GB chief justice, journalist Ansar Abbasi and other respondents were dissatisfactory.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said: “The replies submitted by the alleged contemnors are evasive and, prima-facie, have not been found to be satisfactory.”
The order also stated, “The veracity of the contents of the affidavit published in the newspaper is questionable and the facts narrated therein do not appear to be probable even to an ordinary person of prudent mind.”
“There are, prima facie, reasonable grounds to believe that the contents of the affidavit are false and its execution was not for a bona fide purpose”, the chief justice wrote in the order.
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“The contents cast unfounded aspersions on the integrity, independence and impartiality of this Court and its judges besides prejudicing the right of fair trial of the parties in the pending appeals and tends to interfere with the administration of justice.”
Former chief justice of GB had maintained that he did not publicise the affidavit and therefore, no contempt of court proceedings could be held against him.
However, he was ready to face former CJP Saqib Nisar over what he said against him in the affidavit.
