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ISLAMABAD: Former accountability judge Arshad Malik, who had handed a verdict against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference, has died from the coronavirus.
Malik was admitted to a private hospital after his condition worsened. He remained critical for the past two days and was placed on the ventilator. Malik is survived by two sons and two daughters.
Judge Arshad Malik had stoked controversy when he claimed that he had sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif under duress in the Al-Azizia reference case. In December 2018, Nawaz was handed seven years in jail in Al-Azizia reference by Judge Arshad Malik and also fined $25 million.
The judge maintained that there was no case against Nawaz in Flagship reference. Nawaz later obtained bail from Islamabad High Court in Avenfield case where he was convicted by Judge Mohammad Bashir.
On July 6, 2019, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz held a press conference and presented secretly recorded video clips where the judge claimed that he was coerced to hand down the prison sentence against Nawaz Sharif unjustly as there was immense pressure on him.
Malik had joined the district judiciary on August 1, 2000, and was promoted to the post of sessions judge on September 8, 2010 when Shehbaz Sharif was Chief Minister Punjab. In 2017, he served as District and Sessions Judge in Rawalpindi. He was due to retire on May 24, 2022.
After the appearance of the video, the LHC dismissed judge Arshad Malik from his post in July 2020. The decision was taken by the administration committee of the LHC was chaired by Chief Justice and attended by seven other senior judges.
In July 2020, he was charge-sheeted for violating the judges’ code of conduct and was removed from service under Rule 4 (b) of the Punjab Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules 1999. The main charges of misconduct include issuing a press statement without permission of the authority concerned and privately communicating with parties in a pending case.
