Law Ministry gives additional charge to judge Muhammad Bashir

ISLAMABAD: Judge Muhammad Bashir has been given additional charge of the accountability court number 2 after the position fell vacant after the removal of Arshad Malik, ARY News reported.

A notification has been released by the Law Ministry in this regards following the approval of acting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

Earlier in the day, the law ministry issued the notification stipulating the removal of Accountability Court II judge Arshad Malik from his post.

The registrar office of Islamabad High Court received a copy of the notification, which stated that Arshad Malik can no longer work as a judge of Accountability Court no II.

Justice Amir Farooq of IHC has summoned a list of session judges from the registrar.

Read More: Notification of judge Arshad Malik’s removal issued

The IHC will shortlist three session judges to be forwarded to the law ministry in order to replace judge Arshad Malik. After the finalization of one name out of three by the ministry, a notification will be issued in this regard.

Last Friday, the Islamabad High Court 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 IHC, in a letter, requested the Ministry of Law to remove Judge Arshad Malik from his duties till a decision on the controversy is revealed.

Addressing a press conference alongside top PML-N leadership on July 6, Maryam Nawaz had shown reporters a video in which accountability court judge Arshad Malik can be heard saying that there was “no proof of corruption against the deposed premier” in the Al-Azizia reference.

Accountability Court 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.