Ex-GB judge Rana Shamim files plea against his indictment in affidavit case

Obaid Abrar Khan

01st Mar, 2022. 01:35 pm
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ISLAMABAD: Former chief justice Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Rana Shamim on Tuesday filed an intra-court appeal in Islamabad High Court (IHC) to challenge his indictment.

A two-member judge will take up his petition now.

The IHC had indicted the former judge in a contempt case on January 20 this year. The court, however, deferred the framing of charges against journalist Ansar Abbasi and Jang Group owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman.

In his petition, Shamim stated that the court had indicted him, whereas journalists who had published his affidavit were freed, which was illegal.

Shamim requested the IHC to set aside his indictment and quash the case.

In a ‘leaked’ affidavit, dated November 10, 2021, Shamim had allegedly stated that the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar during his visit to GB made a call to an IHC judge and asked him to ensure that Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were not granted bails before the general elections in 2018.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah took notice of the report and initiated contempt proceedings as Nawaz and Maryam’s case was being heard in the high court.

Justice Minallah later indicted former judge Shamim on January 20 and read the charge sheet against the former chief justice GB. The affidavit submitted by the former GB’s top judge was also made part of the indictment.