ISLAMABAD: The Islam­abad High Court on Monday directed former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Mohammad Shamim to submit a reply to the charge sheet issued to him in a contempt of court case.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah resumed the hearing of the contempt proceedings initiated following publication of an affidavit executed by Mr Shamim in London on November 10 last year.

The affidavit alleged that former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had attempted to delay the release of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz following their conviction in the Avenfield apartments reference.

Justice Minallah had indicted Mr Shamim on January 20 and in a subsequent hearing sought his affidavit in response to the questions raised in the charge sheet.

On Monday, Mr Shamim pleaded before the court that since his lawyer Advocate Latif Afridi was on bed rest following a surgery, the hearing might be adjourned for a couple of weeks.

When the court advised him to change lawyers, the ex-GB chief judge said he would do so in case Advocate Afridi did not recover from a two-week bed rest. He said he had already sent the draft of his reply to his counsel, but the latter had not finalised it yet.

When Justice Minallah asked him why he did not take action against anyone over publication of the story about affidavit, Mr Shamim replied that he did not accuse anyone in the affidavit nor did he leak it to anyone, adding that he could proceed in this matter once those who published the affidavit disclosed their source.

The court adjourned the hearing till April 4.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2022