IHC gives last chance to Rana Shamim to provide original affidavit

Author: Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a written ruling on Friday ordering a hearing in a contempt of court case against ex-chief judge Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim and others in a disputed affidavit case.

According to the court, there are grounds to believe Rana Shamim’s affidavit was forged. Shamim is given one final chance to provide the original affidavit in order to meet the legal threshold, according to the statement.

Shamim had referred to an alleged conversation on July 15, 2018, according to the ruling, and his three-year silence has raised doubts about his veracity.

The court said that apparently, good intentions are not seen behind this affidavit.

According to the court, Rana Shamim emphasised that he did not give the affidavit to a newspaper for publication, but rather to give the appearance that it was leaked by a notary public in London.

The court stated that it is now more crucial to present the original affidavit.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the IHC issued the order in the case. Following a review of Shamim’s response, Justice Minallah issued the order.

Shamim had detailed his grounds for making an oath that former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had called an IHC judge and asked him not to release former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz before the 2018 general election in his response.