Contempt of court petition filed against Maryam, Abbasi

Petition stated that both insulted judiciary; spoke ill of former CJP

ISLAMABAD:

A petition for contempt of court has been filed against PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for their ‘intention to insult [the] judiciary’.

The petition was filed by lawyer Kulsoom Khaliq. It maintained that on November 15 Abbasi said “if Nawaz Sharif can go to jail, then why can’t Saqib Nisar,” which the petition stated fell under contempt of court.

The petition further stated that both PML-N leaders used insulting words against the judiciary and attempted to malign it by speaking ill of former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.

According to the petition, both Maryam and Abbasi should be “punished” for contempt of court.

“It is necessary for the effective administration of justice that contemnors are severely punished in light of judgment MLD,” it read.

The petition requested the court to “summon” or issue “notice” to PML-N supremo's daughter Maryam and ex-premier Abbasi “for violating the dignity of justice” and the “character assassination of the Honourable Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and misstating facts of the Honourable Supreme Court”.

Last week, PML-N’s Abbasi said, “Justice Shamim has given an affidavit about the former CJP [Mian Saqib Nisar] without any pressure and the people of Pakistan have the right to know the truth.”

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Abbasi questioned that if former premier Nawaz could be sent to jail, then why not Justice (retd) Nisar. “The efficiency of the country’s higher judiciary has been questioned in the instant matter.”

The PML-N leader said that the statement under oath by former CJ of G-B High Court further exposed how Imran Khan was brought to power through organised and institutionalised rigging in the 2018 elections.

The PML-N vice-president, on the other hand, called the affidavit by Shamim "the third major testimony from within the judiciary" that allegedly proved her and Nawaz's innocence.

"We knew that the oppressors' days were numbered but we didn't expect the truth would come to light so soon," said Maryam.

Earlier this month, the former top judge of Gilgit Baltistan M Rana Shamim alleged to have overheard ex-CJP Nisar telling an IHC judge not to release Nawaz and Maryam before the 2018 general elections.