IHC takes notice of accusations against former CJP Saqib Nisar

Contempt notices issued in the matter, hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday took notice of an affidavit, submitted by the former top judge of the Gilgit Appellate Court, accusing former chief justice Saqib Nisar of 'keeping' former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in prison till the general elections of 2018.

The notice was taken by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. A high court judge was also named in the allegation and the IHC has started contempt of court proceedings against a well-known journalist. 

The former chief justice of Gilgit Appellate Court, Rana Shamim, has been issued a contempt of court notice along with the chief editor of the newspaper and its news editor. 

The court has summoned Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan in the matter along with all the other parties on Tuesday morning. 

The development came after the former chief justice Nisar said that the accusations levelled against him by the former chief justice of Gilgit Appellate Court Rana 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 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.

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