Daily Times

Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court has maintained that the case of former GB top judge Rana Shamim is an open inquiry because it involves the accountability of judges, Daily Times reported.

The chief justice also requested preliminary arguments in the matter before the next hearing, which would commence the indictment.

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court heard a contempt case against Rana Shamim, a former top judge of the Gilgit-Baltistan Appellate Court, for writing an affidavit accusing former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of collusion to deny bail to top PML-N leaders ahead of the 2018 general elections.

The affidavit indicated that all of the judges had compromised, according to CJ Minallah. He said it was an open investigation since the judges were unable to hold a press conference or make a press release.

The original affidavit was filed before the Islamabad High Court, according to lawyer Latif Afridi, and Mr Shamim adhered to his earlier testimony.

The additional attorney general who attended the hearing told the court that he appeared before the court since Pakistan’s attorney general was in the hospital.

Counsel for Shamim told the court that the original affidavit was sealed and was brought to Pakistan now on the order of the court.

The chief justice remarked that the court had not opened the sealed envelope as yet.

He said it seemed that Rana Shamim gave a very big statement without any proof. It’s a very sensitive matter, he said adding was anyone allowed to point a finger at a judge?

He thought if there was complete freedom to publish anything uttered by anyone against judges.