Maryam says she didn't expect 'the oppressor' will be caught this soon

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz  Wednesday said that she didn't expect that the "oppressor will be caught this soon", as she referred to former GB chief justice Rana Shamim's claims against former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar.

The top GB judge has levelled serious allegations against former CJP Saqib Nisar, stating in an affidavit notarised by a UK oath commissioner that he had been witness to then CJP’s direction to a high court judge not to release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections.

"We were certain that the oppressor gets caught eventually but we [Nawaz Sharif and I] didn't expect that the oppressor will be caught this soon," Maryam said.

The PML-N vice president said the "third major testimony" favouring Nawaz from within the judiciary has come, as she boasted the allegations against the former CJP.

Maryam said that she had hoped that the truth will be revealed one day.

She  further stated that the first court notice to have been sent should have been sent to Nisar over what Shamim has alleged.

The response to the allegations levelled through an affidavit "should have been in the form of an affidavit,” Maryam said as she lambasted Nisar, adding that the “liar ran away”.

This is what former judge of the apex GB court had said, talking about the then top judge of Pakistan, in his affidavit:

“Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he (Saqib Nisar) became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea.”

According to the document, Shamim’s statement was given under oath before the oath commissioner on November 10, 2021. The affidavit, duly notarised, contains the signature of the ex-CJ of Gilgit-Baltistan as well as an image of his NIC card. The notary public stamped the affidavit and recorded that it was “sworn under oath before me” on November 10, 2021.

Former chief justice Saqib Nisar when approached categorically denied that he had ever directed any of his subordinate judges in connection with any judicial order whether it pertained to Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, or anyone else.

In his response, the former CJP said that the news reported about him "contradicts the facts", adding that he would not respond to the "white lies" levelled against him by ex-GB chief judge Rana Shamim.

Both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were convicted by an accountability court in a graft case before the July 25, 2018, general elections. Their lawyers had moved the court for suspension of the conviction but the case after initial hearings was postponed till the last week of July.