Former Gilgit-Baltistan chief judge Rana Shamim has said that he has not seen the affidavit that was attributed to him, in which he levelled allegations against former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar about his involvement in the cases of former PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
Shamim told this to the court on Tuesday during the hearing of the show-cause notices issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) following the publication of Shamim’s alleged affidavit in The News on Nov 15.
IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah, at the start of the hearing, said that this case was not just about freedom of the media but also independence of the judiciary. The CJ asked Shamim why he had recorded the affidavit to which the latter replied that he had not yet seen the published document and that he was unaware of how the affidavit which is sealed in a locker in the United Kingdom was leaked.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan requested the court to ask Shamim to present the original document in the court. Justice Minallah gave Shamim until the next hearing, which will be held on December 7, to submit the original affidavit along with his written response to the show-cause notice.
Earlier, the alleged affidavit of Shamim had caused a stir in Pakistan when it came to light as a report in The News. The story, reported by senior journalist Ansar Abbasi, had led to the opposition raising questions about the authenticity of the 2018 general elections.
Shamim told this to the court on Tuesday during the hearing of the show-cause notices issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) following the publication of Shamim’s alleged affidavit in The News on Nov 15.
IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah, at the start of the hearing, said that this case was not just about freedom of the media but also independence of the judiciary. The CJ asked Shamim why he had recorded the affidavit to which the latter replied that he had not yet seen the published document and that he was unaware of how the affidavit which is sealed in a locker in the United Kingdom was leaked.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan requested the court to ask Shamim to present the original document in the court. Justice Minallah gave Shamim until the next hearing, which will be held on December 7, to submit the original affidavit along with his written response to the show-cause notice.
Earlier, the alleged affidavit of Shamim had caused a stir in Pakistan when it came to light as a report in The News. The story, reported by senior journalist Ansar Abbasi, had led to the opposition raising questions about the authenticity of the 2018 general elections.