ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned attorney general of Pakistan for assistance after former chief judge Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim submitted unconditional apology in contempt of court case.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah, hearing the case, questioned whether Rana Shamim had withdrawn his statement without any pressure. This court never pressurized him for this act, he said.
The chief justice said that it was ready to testify the witnesses on his affidavit prepared in London regarding the alleged telephonic conversation of former chief justice Saqib Nisar. The court would ensure that the new affidavit of apology was filed voluntarily, it added.
The bench remarked that the new affidavit may also have serious consequences but court was not going to that extent.
The chief justice inquired about the AGP and said that the court would take a decision after listening him. The AGP would also be asked that if the newspapers had also some responsibilities.
The court said that there were many precedents in contempt of court cases, sometime the accused were forgiven and sometime not. The chief justice said that it would take legal assistance from AGP on some points.
The court summoned the AGP and adjourned the case till September 29. It may be mentioned here that Rana Shamim in his new affidavit had extended unconditional apology while withdrawing his controversial statements.
He said that he heard the conversation of former chief justice Saqib Nisar when he was on visit to GB. He said that the name of an IHC’s judge was mentioned in the affidavit mistakenly. He said that he was leaving himself at the mercy of this court.
