Islamabad (Web Desk): The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday started hearing the case regarding accountability court judge Arshad Malik's alleged involvement in the controversial video scandal.
A three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa heard the petition.
Security has been beefed up around the federal capital and 1,000 police personnel deployed in the Red Zone and SC premises.
According to a notification issued by the SC, the entry will be regulated through special security passes to be issued by SP (Security) Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad.
Those attending the hearing will not be allowed to take mobile phones and cameras inside.
The SC took up the case on a petition submitted by a citizen named Ishtiaq Ahmed who appealed to the apex court for an independent judicial inquiry of the video scandal.
The SC issued notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Zafarul Haq, and others.
On July 12 The Islamabad High Court (IHC) removed accountability judge Arshad Malik from his post over controversial video.
The acting chief justice of IHC Justice Amir Farooq wrote a letter to law ministry, requesting the law ministry to remove accountability court judge Arshad Malik over the video controversy.
Earlier, judge Malik had written a letter to the IHC refuting PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz’s allegations and the video purportedly showing the judge admitting to lack of evidence against former PM Nawaz Sharif.
In an affidavit submitted to the IHC, Malik denied the contents of the video and termed them as edited, fabricated and aimed to defame him.
Judge Malik, on Dec 4, 2018, had handed ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference. He, however, had acquitted him in a second reference related to Flagship Investments.