IHC sets Jan 7 to indict Rana Shamim, others

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) decided on Tuesday to indict former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim and others on January 7 in a case pertaining to allegations against former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar.

A single bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the case hearing, in which the former GB judge appeared and opened the envelope containing the original affidavit, Aaj News reported.

Shamim replied in the affirmative when the judge asked whether the document was his and he had sealed the envelope himself. Shamim's counsel said that his client did not leak his affidavit to the press or give it to anyone and had even asked Ansar Abbasi where he had received it.

Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan said that the font of the document appeared to be Calibri, the same font used in key documents submitted by PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz in a case relating to the Panama Papers leak.

Ex-GB judge Rana Shamim submits original affidavit in IHC

Meanwhile, Justice Minallah said this matter had nothing to do with Saqib Nisar, adding that the court had started proceeding because of an attempt to make the IHC judges suspicious.

"Do what you want to do with Mian Saqib Nisar," the IHC judge said.

During the last hearing, the high court had deferred the indictment of the formed GB judge after Shamim informed him that the original affidavit would be submitted in three days.

During the proceedings, Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan said that Shamim had deliberately leaked the contents of the affidavit and the proceedings regarding the indictment could be resumed after submission of the original document.

He also said that the responses submitted by Ansar Abbasi and Shamim were contradictory and they must be ordered to submit counter-affidavits. However, the court said that it was giving another chance to the accused to satisfy the bench over the proceedings against them.