IHC orders former GB CJ Rana Shamim to submit original affidavit

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday took up the contempt of court plea against former Gilgit Baltistan (GB) chief judge Rana Shamin and others.

Former GB CJ, Rana Shamim, Attorney General of Pakistan, Khalid Javed, Advocate General Islamabad, Niazullah Niazi, Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Ansar Abbasi and others appeared before the court.

During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked Rana Shamim has he confirmed that the statement released by a journalist in his story is his original statement?

“Yes the statement is mine, I endorse,” replied Rana Shaim.

Upon being asked how his statement was leaked, Rana Shamim said he is unaware of it and added that the original affidavit is saved in the UK with his grandson.

IHC CJ Athar Minallah directed the former GB CJ to submit his original affidavit in the court along with his written response in the case within five days and adjourned the hearing of the case for seven days.

We have to see that are the affidavit and the news item published in the newspaper are the same or different, the CJ IHC said added that differences between both of them will raise serious concerns.

The IHC top judge remarked that he personally does not believe in the contempt of court, but here the position of the courts is at stake.

Background

Former CJ Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim had claimed that former CJP Saqib Nisar had asked a high court judge to keep Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif in jail till the 2018 general elections.

He claimed that he heard the conversation when the former CJP was visiting GB before the 2018 elections.

Saqib Nisar, however, rejected the claim and said that the allegations against him are far away from reality and termed it as a lie.

The former top judge said, “Rana Shamim asked me for extension of his tenure as CJ GB, which I didn’t approve.” Nisar said Rana Shamim complained once against not giving him an extension.