Islamabad (Web Desk): Gilgit Baltistan’s (GB) former chief Judge Rana Shamim challenged his indictment in a contempt of court case in an intra-court appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
According to details, Rana Shamim in his appeal maintained the stance that it is illegal to acquit those who concealed the affidavit and charge me instead.
The former CJ claimed that barring those who published the affidavit, accusing former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of influencing the case against former premier Nawaz Sharif, in a newspaper and “indicting me alone is unconstitutional”.
He requested the court to quash the case by declaring the indictment order null and void, adding that there was nothing on record to prove that he provided the affidavit.
Justice Shamim also made journalist Ansar Abbasi, the bureau chief and editor-in-chief of the said publication parties to the case.
He questioned how the court will ascertain how Ansar Abbasi got hold of the affidavit if the latter will be excluded from trial.
"The main accused in the case was discharged on the assurance of private persons. The law does not envisage doing so on the assurance of private individuals,” he added.
On January 20, the IHC former Chief Judge Rana Shamim in a contempt of court case.
However, the court decided not to frame charges against Jang Group owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman and senior journalists Ansar Abbasi and Aamir Ghauri, who were also named in the contempt case.
On January 15, the IHC had summoned Shamim, editor-in-chief of a national daily Amir Ghauri and investigative reporter Ansar Abbasi on January 20 for indictment in the contempt of court case.
Previously, IHC had received the original affidavit of Chief Judge Rana Shamim and deferred the decision of indicting him. The high court had also termed replies of all the parties including Rana Shamim as unsatisfactory.
On November 15, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, under the Contempt of Court Ordinance, took notice of a news story, which quoting Rana Shamim’s affidavit, claimed that in 2018 Nisar influenced judicial proceedings to prolong the detention of former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz following their conviction in the Avenfield apartments reference.