Law Ministry upholds IHC's request for Arshad Malik's removal

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of Law and Justice Mohammad Farogh Naseem today (Friday) announced that Judge Arshad Malik has formally been asked to stop performing further duties as a judge in light of the ‘video leak’ scandal’, ARY News reported.

Farogh Naseem addressing a press conference after a written request earlier in the day by the IHC seeking removal of Arshad Malik from his post was forwarded to the Ministry announced that the judge was no longer allowed to perform his duties although the final verdict of him being sacked lies with the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi.

Naseem also stated that the Judge as of yet has maintained innocence and has claimed that he was blackmailed and threatened to play a partisan role in the corruption case against the former 3 time Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Read More: IHC decides to remove Judge Arshad Malik in video leak row

The Minister also revealed that if the accusations hurled by the Judge were proven to be true after investigation then those being named might have to face a jail sentencing up to 10 years for trying to influence a high level case.

Referencing the judge’s affidavit, Naseem said: “Arshad Malik has claimed that he was being harassed, threatened and baited into pardoning Nawaz Sharif, the refusal of their offers by the judge resulted in his personal videos being leaked.”

Earlier in the day, The Islamabad High Court (IHC) decided to remove accountability court judge Arshad Malik from his post, ARY News reported.

A spokesperson of the law ministry announced the decision of the judge’s removal in light of the ongoing ‘video leak’ controversy.

The Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court in a letter has requested the Ministry of Law to remove Judge Arshad Malik from his duties till a decision on the controversy is revealed.

Accountability Judge Arshad Malik in an affidavit submitted to the law claimed that he was blackmailed and offered bribes to favor Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Reference Case.

Judge Arshad Malik who has been under the scanner since the past few days in reference to the ‘video leak’ scandal against him, claiming that the judge announced a verdict against Nawaz Sharif under duress has claimed that he was under immense pressure to pardon Nawaz Sharif.

Arshad Malik in his written statement has claimed that he was blackmailed by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) through and old video tape of him which had secretly been filmed in Multan 16 years ago, sources claimed.

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The tape was used to blackmail me over and over again and wanted favors for the accused PML-N supremo, read the affidavit.

Sources further revealed that the affidavit describes a meeting of the judge with the deposed Prime Minister at his residence to which he was taken to by two men.

Nawaz Sharif before being sentenced to jail in that meeting asked the judge to hold a dialogue with the two men who had brought him to the former three time Prime Minister’s residence, Jati Umra.

The judge also revealed in the affidavit that he was offered huge bribes and was also threatened with murder if he didn’t comply with the demands.

Sources unveiled that the PML-N leadership offered him residence and settlement in a foreign country of his chosen if he gave a verdict to their liking.

The judge said that he was in a tremendous amount of pressure, his families life and his own was at stake.

Unearthing an incident from the times when the case was still in process and a verdict hadn’t been reached, the judge had gone to perform Umrah where people of the PML-N came and offered him bribes up to Rs 500 million if he let the PML-N leader go scot-free.

The sources continued further that the affidavit entails how the judge was still being blackmailed through some more videos and life threats and was being told to keep his mouth shut to save himself further embarrassment and humiliation.

Read More: Was blackmailed by PML-N for favorable verdict: Judge Arshad Malik

Judge Arshad Malik though has owned the videos that have been leaked by the PML-N leadership and has claimed that he gave those testimonies due to immense pressures of several kinds from the political party and it’s supporters.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) earlier today decided to remove accountability court judge Arshad Malik from his post.

A spokesperson of the law ministry announced the decision of the judge’s removal in light of the ongoing ‘video leak’ controversy.

The Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court in a letter has requested the Ministry of Law to remove Judge Arshad Malik from his duties till a decision on the controversy is revealed.