ISLAMABAD: The acting judge of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) Court on Thursday transferred the judge video scandal case to Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

The Counter-Terrorism Wing (CTW) of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had filed an application seeking transfer of the case related to the ‘immoral’ video of ex-accountability court judge Mohammad Arshad Malik to the ATC. Judge Malik convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference.

Following the conviction, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders at a press conference released a video in which judge Malik confessed to have convicted Mr Sharif under duress because of his alleged immoral video.

Initially, the cybercrime circle of the FIA investigated the case and arrested three suspects identified as Nasir Janjua, Khurram Yousaf and Mahar Ghulam Jilani. However, the FIA absolved them after a preliminary investigation.

On the complaint of judge Malik, FIA transferred the investigation to the CTW. The CTW arrested two suspects, including a nephew of UK-based activist of PML-N Nasir Butt who had secretly recorded the confessional video of judge Malik.

Judge Malik accused the cybercrime circle of discharging the three from the case after a ‘friendly interrogation.’

The FIA filed an application with the cybercrime court for transferring the case to ATC after the investigation was sent to the CTW which was probing the matter under Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code.

But the former judge of Peca proceeded against the accused and decided to indict them. However, Islamabad High Court (IHC) restrained him from framing charges and referred the matter to the Peca court.

The acting Peca judge on Thursday accepted FIA’s application and transferred the case to the ATC.

The judge also referred the application seeking acquittal of the accused in the video case to the ATC.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2020