Former G-B judge’s indictment deferred

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday deferred indictment in the contempt of court case against former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim and other accused till January 20.

The court resumed the hearing of the case under IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

The high court had initiated proceedings against Shamim, investigative reporter Ansar Abbasi, editor-in-chief of a national daily, and its resident editor after an affidavit was published in the newspaper that accused former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of influencing a case against ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

During the proceedings, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan appeared before the court and said from the first day of the hearing, he was of the view that Shamim was the main accused in the case.

“The case of the three journalists is secondary. Ansar Abbasi or Amir Ghauri’s organisation was spreading a narrative,” the AGP said, adding that the affidavit was issued for a special purpose which was not even before the court.

Read More: Journalist requests IHC CJ to amend affidavit ruling

“Today, Abbasi and Ghauri said that if it [the affidavit] had been in the form of a statement, they would not have published it and [that] the impression of their organisation spreading a narrative should end.”

The AGP suggested postponing the proceedings against the media personnel. He also proposed providing a fair trial to Shamim and framing the charges against him.

Justice Minallah remarked that the “narrative” was that Saqib Nisar had talked to a judge about a case.

“Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and I were part of the bench. Are you trying to say that someone tried to interfere in our ruling? Won't the common man say that judges were influenced after reading the affidavit?” he asked Abbasi.

“A narrative was made that the Islamabad High Court was following someone's instructions because two days after the [date mentioned in the] news published, appeals were being heard,” he added.

The journalist argued that he had not mentioned the name of a court or any judge in his report.

Judicial assistant Faisal Siddiqui appeared before the court and said that as far as journalists were concerned, he would oppose framing charges against them.

To this, the IHC CJ said the publisher of the newspaper should have mentioned what was written in the affidavit was not his responsibility.

“Ansar Abbasi, there is no doubt about your credibility, but you do not realise the effect of your mistake,” he added.

Shamim's lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi said that he had known Abbasi for a long time and he had only conveyed "the truth to the public".

Maybe this incident occurred due to his lack of knowledge on the subject, the counsel prayed.

The IHC CJ noted that the “narrative” was that the benches were made by someone else.

“If such is the case then an inquiry should be initiated against those who were sitting in the benches. I have been saying it from the first day that no one can have access to a judge,” he added.

Subsequently, the IHC adjourned the hearing because of Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman’s absence as he was currently under quarantine after being infected by Covid-19.

On December 28 last year, the IHC had decided to indict Shamim along with other accused in the contempt of court case on January 7.