ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday indicted former Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice Rana Shamim in a contempt of court case stemming from a news report about an affidavit that accused former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of influencing the case against ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
However, the court decided not to frame charges against Jang Group owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman and senior journalists Ansar Abbasi and Aamir Ghauri, who were also named in the contempt case.
The high court had initiated proceedings against Shamim and others after an affidavit was published in the newspaper that accused former chief justice Saqib Nisar of trying to delay the release from prison of top PML-N leadership.
During the last hearing on January 7, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had given Shamim and the others time until the next hearing on January 20 (today) to “reflect” on the matter, saying “acceptance of mistake in front of the court increases honour.”
Shamim, Abbasi and Amicus curiae Nasir Zaidi, a representative of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, were in the court today. As the court proceedings began, Justice Minallah said that charges would be framed first before everything else. The session was briefly adjourned as Shamim requested the court to wait until his counsel, Abdul Latif Afridi, arrived.
Shamim informed the court that he had filed two new petitions to which he was given the same answer that they would be looked into once charges were framed. The IHC chief justice said the court had been disrespected and questioned whether anyone had any issue with the high court. “What sort of perception is this that the judges of this court are compromised?” the judge asked.
Justice Minallah said the court could not give a license for anyone to disrespect it. “The article of one newspaper is not related to Saqib Nisar but has to do with this court. People have been told the judges of this court are compromised,” Justice Minallah added.
Zaidi sought permission to address the court but was denied, with the judge saying: “There is no need for you to say anything. We’ve already said that media’s role is secondary.”
