‘Former Pak CJI didn’t want Nawaz Sharif, Maryam to be free before 2018 polls’

Former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar did not want former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to be freed on bail ahead of the country’s generals elections in 2018. The revelations were made by an ex-chief judge of Gilgit Baltistan in a notarised affidavit.

Sharif and his daughter were convicted in a graft case before the elections scheduled on July 25, 2018. When their lawyers moved the higher court for suspension of the conviction, the case was adjourned till last week of July.

Rana M Shamim, the former chief judge of supreme appellate court of Gilgit Baltistan, said, “Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he (Saqib Nisar) became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea.” He said the directions were given to a judge of another court who was not named in the affidavit.

An article published in Pakistani daily The News International said Shamim gave his statement under oath before the oath commissioner on November 10, 2021. The notarised affidavit contained Shamim’s signature and an image of his national identity card (NIC).

According to the article, the former chief justice has categorically denied the allegations and stated that he never issued any direction to any of his subordinates regarding judicial proceedings related to Sharif or anyone else.

Shamim said he was witness to the incident that happened at the guest house of Gilgit Baltistan court when Nisar came on a vacation with his family members. Shamim added that when he asked the former chief justice why he conveyed such a message to the other judge, he said, “Rana Sahib you will never understand. You must treat it as if you never heard anything”.

When he further said that Sharif had been falsely implicated, Nisar said, “Rana Sahib the chemistry of Punjab is different from Gilgit Baltistan.”