ATC removes terror clauses from judge’s video case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday removed the terrorist clauses from the judge's video scandal case, allowing the petitions filed by the accused in the case.

ATC Judge Abbas Hasan delivered the verdict, which was reserved on July 23. The court said in its ruling that there was no terror case. During the hearing the defence lawyers submitted the copies of a Supreme Court ruling on the matter.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had transferred the case for inclusion of terror related clauses. However, the judge accepted the plea of the accused against the terror-related clauses after which the case will again go to anti cybercrime court.

The scandal surfaced after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, unveiled a video clip in July last year in which then accountability judge Arshad Malik could be heard saying that there was “no proof of corruption” against Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference.

Judge Malik had convicted Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference, and acquitted him in another, the Flagship reference in December. Both the references were filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The PML-N had accused judge Malik of convicting Nawaz in the Al-Azizia reference under duress. The judge, however, denied the allegation, saying there was no pressure on him to convict Nawaz and that the videos shown by Maryam Nawaz were “fake and based on lies”.

Later, the Islamabad High Court summoned the judge and directed him to submit an affidavit, explaining his position. Malik in his affidavit said he had been blackmailed by the supporters of PML-N because of an “immoral video”.

The IHC had suspended the judge and repatriated him to his parent department, the Lahore High Court (LHC), for further proceedings. The LHC then made him an OSD and the administrative committee approved an inquiry against him on charges of misconduct.

The FIA also launched an inquiry into the video scandal and initially arrested three persons on charges of pressurising and blackmailing judge Malik. They were later exonerated of charges by a judicial magistrate.

In October last year, the FIA moved the IHC against a decision of the anti-electronic crimes court, which disallowed the shifting of the case to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) against eight suspects. The FIA had requested the IHC to suspend the verdict given by anti-electronic crimes court.