Allegations against Saqib Nisar kick up political storm

ISLAMABAD: A political storm of sorts has been set off following the claims made by ex-chief justice Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim against former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar for not allowing bail to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz before the 2018 general elections. Politicians from both sides of the aisle in the National Assembly were taking strong positions on the controversy.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday took notice of the news pertaining to the affidavit, and summoned the Editor-in-Chief of daily ‘The News’, ex-chief justice GB and others in person for Tuesday’s hearing.

The editor-in-chief, editor of the national English daily newspaper, its Editor Investigations Ansar Abbasi and ex-chief justice Gilgit Baltistan, Rana Shamim, were directed by the bench to appear in person and clarify that why not a contempt of court proceeding should be initiated against them.

Later, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah also summoned the president of IHC Journalists Association, Saqib Bashir, and told him to avoid such kind of reporting. The chief justice remarked this court always respects freedom of expression. It wouldn’t be good if the impartial judgments of this court were criticised. Justice Minallah remarked that the court expects the association to play its role in strengthening public’s trust in judiciary through quality journalism. There shouldn’t be such news on pending cases, he said. He said that the court will take this matter seriously. The court later issued a written order pertaining to the hearing on the remarks of ex-judge about the cases of Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif. It said the registrar’s office drew attention toward the news item carried by the English daily. The news item was related to a pending case, it added.

The order said: “It is noted that trial outside a court in any form which tends to influence the proceedings and determination in a pending matter attracts the offence of criminal contempt. The report published in ‘The News’, prima facie, tends to influence the proceedings and determination in a pending matter and having the effect of obstructing the administration of justice and/or to divert the cause of justice because no such affidavit forms part of the judicial record.

“The publishing of reports during the pendency of a matter are the most serious form of contempt. Likewise, the aforementioned published report, prima facie, amounts to prejudicing public confidence in the administration of justice in a pending matter besides scandalizing this court.” The court summoned the persons in person on Tuesday and directed them to explain that why not contempt of court proceeding should be initiated against them.

Meanwhile, Chairman National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Information and Broadcasting Mian Javed Latif, while taking notice of Ansar Abbasi’s story on the revelation of former Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) chief judge about former chief justice of Supreme Court in the case of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, summoned former CJP Saqib Nisar, ex-GB CJ Rana Shamim, Editor The News and Editor Investigations Ansar Abbasi on its next meeting on November 22.

Javed Latif chaired the meeting of the standing committee, which was also attended by State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib. During the meeting, Javed Latif said that an important issue was to be discussed that how a former chief justice of Supreme Court used his influence in courts to get his desired order against the Sharif family.

Javed Latif added that Pakistan should not be run in such a way. He said that the country must run under the Constitution and law. He said that the affidavit of former GB chief judge was very important. He said the hands of country’s investigative institutions were tied to get desired results. He said that people must be given answers to their questions that why Nawaz Sharif had stayed abroad after the revelation of former GB CJ.

On the other hand, Sanding Committee for Information and Broadcasting issued its agenda for its November 22 meeting in which former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar and others were summoned.