IHC admits plea to add judge’s video as evidence

Asks NAB to submit reply in two weeks; says will take up Nawaz’s main appeal after two weeks

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday admitted a miscellaneous petition of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to include allegedly confessional video of accountability court former judge Arshad Malik as additional evidence in Nawaz’s main petition against his December 2018 conviction.

The IHC's Division Bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani, issued a written order – accepting Nawaz’s petition and asking the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit a reply in this regard in two weeks.

The bench said paper books of the main appeal had been prepared and shared with the respondents and the court would take up Nawaz’s petition after two weeks.

Malik, former judge of Islamabad’s Accountability Court-II, convicted Nawaz Sharif on December 24, 2018 in Al-Azizia corruption case that was one of the three references filed by NAB on instruction of the apex court.

However, in July the daughter of former premier, Maryam Nawaz, unveiled a controversial video showing Judge Malik allegedly confessing before a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) worker that he was blackmailed into convicting Nawaz.

The judge had denied the PML-N’s claim but was later removed from his position. The PML-N now demands that on basis of the video conviction of Nawaz may be declared null and void. Nawaz has been incarcerated in Lahore Kot Lakhpat Jail since last year.