ISLAMABAD
\nThe Islamabad High Court (IHC) postponed framing of charges in a contempt of court case against former Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice Rana Shamim, Jang Group owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman and senior journalists Ansar Abbasi and Aamir Ghauri as the hearing of the case adjourned till January 20.
\nThe IHC had in the last hearing decided to indict the former GB chief judge and others in a contempt of court case in connection with a news report about an affidavit that accused former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of trying to delay the release from prison ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
\nDuring the proceeding, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan appeared before the court and said that from the first day of the hearing he was of the view that Rana Shamim was the main accused in this case.
\n\u201cThe case of three journalists is secondary. Ansar Abbasi or Amir Ghauri\u2019s organisation was spreading a narrative,\u201d said the AGP, adding that the affidavit was issued for a special purpose which is not even before the court.
\n\u201cToday, Abbasi and Ghauri said that if the affidavit had been in the form of a statement, they would not have published it and that the impression of their organisation spreading a narrative should end,\u201d said Khan. The AGP suggested postponing the proceedings against the media personnel and providing a fair trial to Rana Shamim and framing the charge against him.
\nIHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the \u201cnarrative\u201d is that Saqib Nisar talked to a judge about a case. \u201cJustice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and I were part of the bench. Are you trying to say that someone tried to interfere in our ruling? Won\u2019t the common man say that judges got influenced after reading the affidavit?\u201d he questioned Abbasi.
\n\u201cA narrative was made that the Islamabad High Court was following someone\u2019s instructions because two days after the date mentioned in the news published, appeals were being heard,\u201d Justice Minallah said.
\nThe journalist argued that he did not write the name of the court or any judge in his news story. Judicial assistant Faisal Siddiqui appeared before the court and said that as far as journalists were concerned, he would oppose framing a charge against them.
\nTo this, the IHC CJ said the publisher of the newspaper should say that what was written in the affidavit was not his responsibility. \u201cIn a pending case in the UK, the reporter had reported, but the reporter and the editor both had been convicted for this,\u201d the judge said. \u201cAnsar, there is no doubt about your credibility, but you do not realise the effect of your mistake,\u201d he added.
\nRana Shamim\u2019s lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi said that he has known Abbasi for a long time and he has only conveyed \u201cthe truth to the public\u201d. Maybe this incident occurred due to his lack of knowledge on the subject, the counsel prayed.
\nThe chief justice said that the \u201cnarrative\u201d is that benches were made by someone else. \u201cIf such is the case then an inquiry should be initiated against those who were sitting in the benches. I have been saying from the first day that no one can have access to a judge,\u201d the IHC chief justice remarked.
\n\u201cIn a pending case in the UK, the reporter had reported, the reporter and the editor had been convicted for this,\u201d the judge said. \u201cAnsar, there is no doubt about your reputation, but you do not feel guilty,\u201d he added. Minallah said \u201cacceptance of mistakes in front of the court increases honour.\u201d
\nHe also rejected Jawed Khan\u2019s request to allow Rehman \u2014 who tested positive for coronavirus \u2014 to attend court proceedings via video link and said he would need to be present in court for the indictment.
\nSubsequently, the IHC adjourned the hearing due to Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman\u2019s absence as he is currently under quarantine due to Covid-19.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The Islamabad High Court (IHC) postponed framing of charges in a contempt of court case against former Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice Rana Shamim, Jang Group owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman and senior journalists Ansar Abbasi and Aamir Ghauri as the hearing of the case adjourned till January 20. The IHC had in the last hearing decided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-237554","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n