Ex-CJP rejects allegations of keeping Nawaz in jail till 2018 polls

Report in local newspaper claimed Nisar directed a high court judge to keep Sharifs in jail till general elections

Former chief justice Saqib Nisar on Monday said that the accusations levelled against him by the former chief justice of Gilgit Appellate Court Rana M Shamim were "contrary to the facts".

Speaking to the media, Nisar, who ordered the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) in the Panama Papers case that led to the disqualification of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said he didn't want to respond to the "plain lies" of the ex-GB chief justice.

Nisar said that Shamim had asked him for an extension but he didn't accept his request, adding that the ex-GB CJ had also complained to him about the same.

The former CJP was responding to a story published in a local newspaper, which stated that Nawaz and Maryam were kept in jail till the general elections in 2018 on the orders of Saqib Nisar.

A copy of the affidavit signed by chief judge of the Supreme Appellate Court Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Muhammad Shameem available with The Express Tribune.

Read Maryam claims conspiracy was hatched to assassinate Nawaz in prison

In response to this story, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif said, "Allah has His own way of revealing the truth."

Explosive news story by Ansar Abbasi peels off a thick layer of a grand scheme employed to target Nawaz Sharif & Maryam Nawaz. Allah has His own way of revealing the truth. It’s yet another vindication of Nawaz Sharif & Maryam in the court of public opinion. Alhumdulillah!

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 15, 2021

Meanwhile, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took exception to this report and said it was an "absurd" story by the journalist.

Taking a dig at the report, the minister said as per the news item, a Gilgit judge claimed that the former CJP told a High Court judge not to grant bail to Nawaz Sharif and Maryam before the elections.

انصار عباسی صاحب کی ایک حیرت انگیز اسٹوری نظر سے گزری جس میں ایک گلگت کے جج صاحب فرماتے ہیں کہ جب وہ ثاقب نثار صاحب کے پاس چائے پینے بیٹھے تو جج صاحب نے فون پر ہائیکورٹ کے جج کو کہا کہ نواز شریف کی ضمانت الیکشنوں سے پہلے نہیں لینی!

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 15, 2021

Reportedly, these remarks were made when Nisar was having tea with the G-B top judge, Fawad said, questioning that why would Saqib Nisar discuss such a thing on the phone in front of someone and that too while he was having tea.

Fawad said that "jokes in the name of news" were being circulated in the country to prove that Nawaz Sharif is a victim.

کیسےکیسے لطیفے اس ملک میں نواز شریف کو مظلوم ثابت کرانے کی مہم چلا رہے ہیں، اندازہ لگائیں کے آپ کسی جج کے پاس چائے پینے جائیں وہ آگے سے فون ملا کر بیٹھا ہے کہ آپ کے سامنے ہی ایسی ہدایات جاری کرے کہ کسی ملزم کی ضمانت لینی ہے یا نہیں لینی!ملزم بھی کوئ عام آدمی نہیں ملک کاوزیر اعظم

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 15, 2021

"Instead of fabricating conspiracy theories, the Sharifs should provide money trail for the Avenfield Apartments," he said, adding that Maryam had claimed that "she did not own any property but it has emerged that she's the owner of property worth billions".

بیوقوفانہ کہانیاں اور سازشی تھیوریاں گھڑنےکی بجائے یہ بتا دیں نواز شریف نے ایون فیلڈ اپارٹمنٹس جو بعد میں مریم نواز کی ملکیت میں دے دئیے گئے ان کے پیسے کہاں سےآئے؟ مریم نے کہا میری لندن میں تو کیا پاکستان میں بھی کوئ جائیداد نہیں اب اربوں کی جائیداد سامنے آ چکی جواب اس کا دیں،

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 15, 2021