The former chief justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar on Monday rejected a media report that he had given orders not to release former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz during the 2018 elections.

Nisar rubbished the allegations levelled against him by a former chief judge of the apex court Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim as “contrary to the facts”.

According to a report by The News International, former chief judge of the apex court Shamim claimed in an affidavit that he was a witness to Nisar’s orders to a high court judge not to release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam on bail before the 2018 general polls.

“Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he (Saqib Nisar) became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea,” the report quoted the former top judge of G-B as saying in the affidavit.

“The news around me contradicts the facts. What should I say in reply to the lie of the former chief judge of the apex court Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim?” Nisar told Bol News while reacting to the report.

“When did I say that I had the authority to give extension to Rana Shamim? The media has misreported my point,” he added.

Nisar said, “Rana Shamim had complained to him that in one of his cases, extension in his term was halted due to my observation. The summary of Rana Shamim’s extension was with the ministry of northern.”

While defending himself, the former chief justice said that it was not wise to react to every lie and fabrication. “The nation knows why mud is being thrown at me. Everyone knows that Rana Shamim has been in London, he did all this from there,” claimed Nisar.

The ex-CJP also said that he had ever given any orders to his subordinate judges regarding any court decision, whether the order was against Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz or anyone else.

Earlier today, while commenting on the report, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said, “What kind of jokes are being run in this country to prove that Nawaz Sharif is oppressed. Imagine if you visit a judge to have tea, and then he is on a call with someone and gives instructions in front of you that if an accused should be given bail or not. The accused is not even a common man but the prime minister of the country.”

IHC takes notice of Rana Shamim’s allegations against former CJP 

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued contempt notices to Jang Group Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, Amir Ghori, senior journalist Ansar Abbasi and former chief judge of the apex court G-B Rana Shamim.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah held an urgent hearing today and summoned the author and the other two tomorrow (Tuesday) over the media report regarding ex-CJP Nisar.

A written order of the court said that the news published in an English newspaper was related to a pending case.

“Any kind of trial outside the court is tantamount to influencing the court proceedings,” it said and added, “The news published in the English newspaper is an attempt to influence the court proceedings of the pending case.”

“All the parties should appear before the court and explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them,” the written order added.