IHC adjourns hearing of judge blackmailing scandal till Nov 4

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday extended the period of stay order which stopped cybercrimes court to take further action against the accused persons in judge’s blackmailing scandal, ARY News reported.

The high court extended its stay order till November 4 on the court’s action in the case related to judge’s blackmailing through scandalous video. The IHC has also stopped the cyber crimes court to continue indictment of the accused persons in the case.

The extension was made over the request of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as the intel institution moved to the high court over not transferring the judge’s case to the anti-terrorism court (ATC) from the cyber crimes court.

Read: Judge blackmailing scandal: Prime accused Nasir Butt’s son detained

Later, the high court gave more time to the parties for submitting replies and adjourned the hearing till November 4.

Earlier on October 22, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes court had set Oct 31 for the indictment of the arrested accused in the judge video scandal case.

Special Judge of the cyber crimes court Tahir Mehmood Khan directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a complete charge-sheet against the accused. The court rejected a plea by FIA seeking transfer of the case to an anti-terrorism court for the trial of the suspect.

Read: Nawaz requests Supreme Court to review judge video scandal verdict

FIA had requested the court to transfer the case to the ATC as the investigation into the case was transferred from its Cyber Crimes Wing to Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW). Two accused, including nephew of Nasir Butt, main character behind the judge video scandal, are in Adiala jail on judicial remand.

Judge Arshad Malik, who sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to jail, had denied Maryam Nawaz’s allegations that the judge was blackmailed into convicting Nawaz without any evidence.