ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to indict former chief justice of Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim, senior reporter Ansar Abbasi and others in contempt of court case on January 7.
The court has directed Shamin, Abbasi and others to appear before the court on January 7, as the court has decided to initiate contempt of court proceedings against them.
During the hearing, former judge Rana Shamim opened up his sealed affidavit before the Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, Justice Athar Minallah in which he reportedly levelled allegations against the judiciary including the former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar.
Read more: IHC gives last chance to Rana Shamim to submit original affidavit
Earlier the court asked Shamim’s counsel to open up the sealed affidavit. To this attorney general reminded the court that Shamim was directed to present an affidavit and now he should open it.
Justice Athar Minallah accepted the request and directed the former judge to open up the sealed affidavit envelope and present it before the court.
The court was later directed to re-seal the envelope after the attorney general sought a copy of it.
Justice Minallah remarked that it’s not a contempt of court matter but a case of court’s accountability.
“It is being reported that this court has reached a compromise. The judiciary is presenting itself for accountability,” observed the IHC CJ.
Read more: IHC to open ‘sealed affidavit’ of former CJ G-B Rana Shamim on Dec 28
While talking to the media ahead of the hearing, Shamim while answering questions said he was alone while signing the affidavit.
He asked the media to question those who are claiming PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was there while signing the affidavit.
The former judge was responding to a report claiming that Shamim had signed the “affidavit” in the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s office.
According to the report, the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan, “took the oath and signed an affidavit in the office of none other than Mian Nawaz Sharif, trying to incriminate former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and honourable sitting judges of Islamabad High Court.”
The report says that as per the evidence available with the English daily, Charles Guthrie; a UK Solicitor confirmed that ‘Judge Guy’ was at ‘Marble Arch’.
Stanhope Place, Marble arch was listed on Companies House records as one of the offices of Flagship Developments Limited, of which Hasan Nawaz Sharif is one of the directors and it has been the central meeting point of a lot of PML-N leadership in London with Nawaz Sharif.
With additional input from APP
