Contempt of court: IHC indicts ex-chief justice of Gilgit Baltistan Rana Shamim 

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday has indicted former Chief Judge of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Rana Shamim in a high profile contempt of court case.  

According to details, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing over contempt of court plea against former chief judge of GB court Rana Shamim.

Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah read the charge sheet against Rana Shamim. The affidavit submitted by the former GB’s top judge has been made part of the indictment.

"You tell us if anyone is facing any problem with this court", Athar Minallah asked the former CJ, adding that this court believes in open accountability.

Meanwhile, the CJ IHC has adjourned the indictment proceedings against the journalists until February 15 and rejected the petition to separate Attorney General from the case. Rana Shamim appealed the court to order indiscriminate inquiry into his affidavit over which, the court remarked that serious allegations were leveled in the document.

During the last hearing on January 7, the IHC had adjourned the hearing on a contempt of court case against the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan and several journalists till today.

On December 7, the IHC directed former Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Chief Judge Rana Shamim to submit his original affidavit till December 13. 

During the proceeding, the IHC Chief Justice remarked that if Rana Shamim fails to present the original affidavit, the court will initiate the indicting process against him. The court has also barred him from traveling abroad.

During previous hearing, Justice Athar Minallah remarked that Rana Shamim had tried to convince the people to lose confidence in court.

He remarked that if the original affidavit was found different from the affidavit being reported. Then the responsibility will be on the newspaper. 

Rana Shamim told court that his affidavit was sealed one, but he did not know which affidavit was reported.

It is pertinent to remember that ex-chief justice of the Gilgit-Baltistan apex court levelled serious allegations against former chief justice Saqib Nisar, stating in a notarized affidavit that he had been witness to then CJP Saqib Nisar’s direction to a high court judge not to release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections. 

“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,” this is what is said in the affidavit of the former top judge of GB talking about the then top judge of Pakistan.