Nisar rejects report on keeping Sharif in jail during 2018 polls
Former judge of Gilgit-baltistan apex court says he was a witness to the then Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s direction to a high court judge not to release Sharif and Maryam on bail at any cost before the 2018 elections
Former chief judge of the apex court of GilgitBaltistan (GB) Rana Shamim has stated in a notarised affidavit that he was a witness to the then Supreme Court of Pakistan Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s direction to a high court judge not to release deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections.
Nisar, however, categorically denied that he had ever directed any of his subordinate judges in connection with any judicial order whether it pertained to Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz or anyone else.
“Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he (Nisar) became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea,” this is what is said in Shamim’s affidavit talking about the former chief justice, a report said.
The document said Shamim’s statement was given under oath before the Oath Commissioner on Nov.10, 2021.
The affidavit contains Shamim’s signatures as well as an image of his national identity card.
The notary public stamped the affidavit and recorded that it was “sworn under oath before me” on Nov.10, 2021.
Both Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were convicted by an accountability court in a graft case before the July 25, 2018 general elections.
Their lawyers had moved the court for suspension of the conviction but the case ater initial hearings was postponed till last week of July as the general elections were held on July 25 the same year.
Shamim initially confirmed the contents of the affidavit but refused to further talk about it.
The report edited the name of the high court judge. However, at the time Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Miangul Aurangzeb of the Islamabad High Court had heard the appeals of Sharif and Maryam.
The affidavit said: “I Justice Rana Shamim, former Chief Judge, Supreme Appellate Court of GB (31 August 2015 to 30 Aug 2018) do hereby make the following statement under oath: In
July 2018 while I was serving as the Chief Judge of the Supreme Appellate Court of GB, Justice Saqib Nisar came to Gilgit for vacations along with 27 family members and stayed in the guest house of the court.
“One evening when I, my late wife, Nisar and his wife were taking tea in the lawn, I found the chief justice to be very disturbed and continuously talking on the phone to his registrar, directing him to go to the residence of Justice ------ of ------ and request him to immediately call him (Nisar). That in case his call does not get through, then convey to him on his (Nisar’s) behalf that Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz must not be released on bail before the general elections at any cost.
“Shortly aterwards he also spoke to Justice ------ directly and told him that Sharif and Maryam must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurance from the other side he became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea.
“I, as his colleague and host, requested him to spend his vacations with his family in GB and then asked him why he conveyed such a message to Justice ----- and for what.”
He said, “Rana Sahib you will never understand. You must treat it as if you never heard anything.”
I told him in the presence of my late wife and his wife that Nawaz Sharif has been falsely implicated and his sentence and that of Maryam were both managed as was evident from his phone calls. He was initially disturbed to hear that but then relaxed again and said, “Rana Sahib the chemistry of Punjab is different from Gilgit Baltistan.”
“That whatever is stated voluntarily herein above constitutes the complete truth.”
Meanwhile, the PML-N announced to discuss the mater in parliament.
While addressing the media in Islamabad on Monday, former prime minister and senior representative of PML-N Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Rana Shamim has given statement about former chief justice Saqib Nisar without any pressure.