Daily Times

Ex-chief judge Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim Tuesday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that he had not given his affidavit for publication, as it had been kept in a locker in a sealed form.

Shamim said he didn’t know how the affidavit got leaked and reached the newspaper.

The IHC, however, instructed him to submit the original affidavit to the court within five days and also asked him to clarify the reasons for the affidavit and why he had been silent for three years.

Earlier, when Chief Justice Athar Minallah questioned Rana Shamim about his comments against the show cause notice, he said his lawyer Latif Afridi would speak about it.

Justice Athar asked the respondent that he must have a purpose to give affidavit.

The court said he (Rana Shamim) had damaged the trust of public in the judiciary through the controversial affidavit. This court had set some standard for it, Justice Minallah said, adding that it had interpreted freedom of expression and contempt of court in Firdous Ashiq Awan case. The court remarked the freedom of journalism must have some responsibilities. Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Javed contended that the whole responsibility for the matter lay with Rana Shamim and the role of media was secondary. He prayed the court to direct Mr. Shamim to submit the original affidavit to the court. Khalid Javed said it was so strange that a person visited London, gave affidavit and then he forgot it.

The AGP said a campaign was being run to defame judiciary. The chief justice said the campaign was being run only outside the court, adding that today’s statement of Rana Shamim was more dangerous. Justice Minallah remarked that the court should be distanced from political stances.

Rana Shamim said he was in his village when he read about the affidavit in a newspaper. At this, the attorney general said it was not a ten-year-old document. “Who had written the affidavit if he had not done it”, he asked. Rana Shamim said the affidavit was in the locker in a sealed form and didn’t know how it got leaked as he had not given it for publication.

The IHC judge again asked Rana if he had or hadn’t given his affidavit concerned to the newspaper. “You must have recorded the affidavit for some purpose,” the judge remarked, questioning why he had written the affidavit three years after the alleged incident. The court asked whether the respondent admitted the contents of the affidavit published in the newspaper. There would be a big question mark on the credibility of the said newspaper if the affidavit was found different from the news story, Justice Minallah said.

Rana said he didn’t know which affidavit was reported in the newspaper, adding that first he wanted to see it. The court asked Mr. Shamim to give his stance in a written form.

The ex-chief judge GB said he would be busy on December 5, and 12 as there were ‘Rasm-e-Qul’ of his sister-in-law and brother on the said dates, respectively and prayed the court to fix a date after December 12.