IHC defers decision on indictment of Rana Shamim in contempt case

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday deferred the decision of indictment of former Gilgit Baltistan (GB) chief justice Rana Shamim in contempt case until December 20, ARY News reported.

The hearing was conducted by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, in which, Ansar Abbasi, Aamir Ghauri and others appeared, while Rana Shamim and Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman did not show up.

Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed also attended today’s court proceedings.

At the outset of the hearing, Justice Minallah asked where is Rana Shamim why he has not appeared before the court yet?

AGP Khalid Javed read the statement of former GB judge, Rana Shamim before the court. The former judge said himself that he did not want to publish an affidavit in media. How the statement got leaked, only the former GB judge can tell the court as according to him it was kept in a locker with his grandson in the UK.

The AGP pleaded with the court to indict the respondents in the case by stating that there is a contradiction in the statements between Ansar Abbasi and Rana Shamim.

The court remarked that leaking someone’s personal document is a crime and is against the law.

IHC CJ Athar Minallah remarked that fingers have been pointed out at the court he heads.

Later, the former judge appeared before the court and informed IHC CJ that his lawyer is on the way to appear before the court.

Later, the IHC while deferring the decision of indictment in the case, adjourned the hearing until December 20. The former judge has been directed to submit his original affidavit at the next hearing of the case.

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.