CJ IHC Athar Minallah takes notice of ex-CJ GB Rana Muhammad Shamim’s allegations against former CJP Mian Saqib Nisar
ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (SABAH): Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah has summoned former chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan Justice (retd) Dr. Rana Muhammad Shamim in relation to his allegations against ex-Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.
The IHC has summoned Rana Shamim, editor-in-chief of “The News International”, editor of the newspaper and journalist Ansar Ahmed Abbasi today (Tuesday).
A report in “The News” had stated that then CJP Mian Saqib Nisar had directed a high court judge to not release former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif 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.
Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Athar Minallah held an urgent hearing on Monday and took the decision to summon the above-mentioned persons after the Islamabad High Court registrar 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 today (Tuesday) at 10:30am. The court has summoned all the parties including Attorney General for Pakistan Barrister Khalid Jawed Khan and Advocate General Islamabad in personal capacity.
According to the affidavit, Rana Muhammad Shamim’s statement was given under oath before the Oath Commissioner on November 10, 2021. The affidavit, duly notarised, contains the signature of the ex-CJ of Gilgit Baltistan as well as an image of his NIC card. The notary public stamped the affidavit and recorded that it was “sworn under oath before me” on Nov 10, 2021.
Both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were convicted by an accountability court in a graft case before the July 25, 2018 general elections. Their lawyers had moved the court for suspension of the conviction but the case, after initial hearings, was postponed till last week of July.
But former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, when approached, categorically denied that he had ever directed any of his subordinate judges in connection with any judicial order whether it pertained to Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz or anyone else.
In his response, the former CJP said that the news report about him “contradicts the facts”, adding that he would not respond to the “white lies” levelled against him by ex-GB chief justice Rana Shamim.
Nisar accused Shamim of asking for an extension as the chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan. Nisar added that he had denied him the extension. “At one point in time, Rana Shamim also complained to me about not getting the extension,” he said. “It is not wise to respond to every lie,” he added.
Meanwhile justice (retd) Rana Muhammad 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 a private TV channel, 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 said.
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.
He said that it is the prerogative of the prime minister to give an extension to the chief justice in the Supreme Court of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that the “explosive” news report was yet another vindication for Nawaz and Maryam in the “court of public opinion”.
The report peeled off a “thick layer of a grand scheme employed to target” the PML-N chief and his daughter, he said.
PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb also said that the “disgusting conspiracy” against the former premier and the characters involved in it were being exposed.
She said that with the latest development, Nawaz and Maryam’s innocence was “clear as day”, adding that the individuals involved in the incident should be brought to justice and punished.
“This conspiracy was not only against Nawaz but also against Pakistan and the people of Pakistan,” she said.
“We always knew it but it has now been made public — how brazenly Nawaz and Maryam were denied justice,” said PML-N leader Mohammad Zubair. He added that the report had proven that the two were “falsely implicated”.
“While Saqib Nisar stands exposed, the cases against Nawaz and Maryam should be set aside,” he said.
On the other hand, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said: “What kind of joke[r]s are running campaigns in this country to prove Nawaz is being oppressed”.
The minister said that instead of “fabricating silly stories and conspiracy theories”, Nawaz should tell about the source of the money for the Avenfield Apartments.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr. Shahbaz Gill said the “sudden” development was due to the upcoming hearing of Maryam’s appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield reference.
Stating that the PML-N leader wanted it “delayed at any cost”, Gill said a first information report should be registered against Shamim for keeping mum on the matter for so many years. He also questioned how Shamim was appointed a judge in GB.
The PM’s aide also questioned the source of the money used to purchase apartments abroad by the PML-N leaders. “There will be more [attempts] to stop [the hearing for] Maryam’s appeal by trying to influence the courts,” Gill said.