Maryam releases more video clips of alleged meeting between accountability judge, PML-N rep

Published July 10, 2019
PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz. — DawnNewsTV/File
PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz. — DawnNewsTV/File

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday shared two more video clips on Twitter to corroborate her claim that Accountability Judge Arshad Malik allegedly met a PML-N ‘sympathiser’ to confess that he had been "pressurised and blackmailed" to convict her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in the Al-Azizia reference.

On Saturday, a video purported to be about the conversation between Judge Malik and PML-N supporter Nasir Butt was played on a screen projector during a hurriedly called presser at the PML-N's provincial headquarters in Lahore.

In a press release issued a day later, Judge Malik acknowledged to have met Nasir Butt in the past, but rejected Maryam's allegations that he had convicted Nawaz under any sort of pressure, saying that the former premier was convicted on the basis of evidence.

"The videos shown during the press conference are fake and based on lies and assumptions," the judge had said in the press release.

Taking to Twitter today, Maryam shared a new video which she claimed shows Judge Malik's "official car with a green number plate" coming to escort Nasir Butt, who then allegedly follows the car to the judge's residence.

This video, shot by a person riding a motorcycle, appears to show a white sedan with a green number plate approaching a Land Cruiser before both vehicles drive away. None of the occupants of the vehicles are clearly visible in the video.

The video "belies all claims of Judge Arshad Malik [sahib] that he mentioned in his press release," Maryam claimed.

She tweeted a second video which she claimed shows Nasir Butt entering the judge's residence. "Judge Arshad Malik sb comes in, greets Nasir sb & switches the lights on," she wrote.

The veracity of the contents of either of the video clips could not be verified independently by Dawn.com.

Judge's reaction

Judge Malik in the press release issued on Sunday had said that he had seen Maryam's press conference as well as the video attributed to him. "Serious allegations were made against me; it was a conspiracy to affect my credibility as well as that of my institution and my family. Therefore, I want to present the facts.

"I am a resident of Rawalpindi where before becoming a judge, I worked as a lawyer. The individual shown in the video, Nasir Butt, is also from the same city and is an old acquaintance. Nasir Butt and his brother Abdullah Butt have met me many times at numerous instances.

"The video shown in Maryam Safdar sahiba's press conference is not only contrary to the facts but it is also a despicable attempt to mesh together various instances and topics spoken about, and to present them out of context.

"I also want to make it clear that indirectly or directly, neither was there any pressure on me nor was there any greed," the judge wrote, adding that legal action should be taken against the individuals behind the allegations.

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