ISLAMABAD: Advocate General Niazullah Naizi on Tuesday requested the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) chief commissioner to place former chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana M Shamim’s name on Exit Control List (ECL) in the light of contempt proceedings against him.
“Rana Muhammad Shamim is facing contempt proceedings before the Honorable Islamabad High Court in Criminal Original No.309/2021 and has been served with show cause Notice No.1628 dated 19.11.2021 in the same proceedings,” read a letter.
In the letter, the prosecutor general claimed that the former judge was a “flight risk”. “Should he flee the country, serious prejudice may be caused to the ongoing proceedings and in effect to the rule of law and independence of the judiciary,” the letter stated.
It further stated that the next hearing in the case will be held on December 13; therefore, “immediate action” is required.
A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court had dismissed a plea asking the court to place the former Gilgit top judge on the Exit Control List (ECL) over contempt of court proceedings against him.
The IHC had said the matter of imposing a travel ban on anyone fell under the domain of the government and courts had no authority in the matter.
Earlier today, the IHC told Shamim that he will be indicted in the contempt of court case if he fails to produce the original affidavit by Monday.
In his affidavit, Rana Shamim had alleged that former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had influenced the case against ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif by allegedly ordering a judge to keep the former premier and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in jail till general elections in July 2018.
