Islamabad - Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz on Monday raised serious questions over the transparency of 2018 general elections and fairness in legal proceedings against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif in response to a statement made by the former Chief Justice of Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court Rana Shamim.
Shamim in his statement recorded before an oath commissioner alleged that former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar had given instructions to keep former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz in jail till the general elections in 2018. He alleged that the said directions were passed by Saqib Nisar before him during his visit to Gilgit-Baltistan, a claim which former Chief Justice completely denied.
However, the top leadership of PML-N took this statement as an opportunity to get maximum political mileage and prove the innocence of their leadership.
They declared Shamim’s statement as God’s help to prove their leaders innocent and all cases against them as ‘political victimisation’.
Soon after the revelations were made public, PML-N President Mian Shehbaz Sharif in his tweet said explosive news story peels off a thick layer of a grand scheme employed to target Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.
“Allah Almoghty has his own way of revealing the truth. It’s yet another vindication of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam in the court of public opinion. Alhumdulillah”, he said.
On the other side, Maryam Nawaz Sharif in her tweet has said one should be afraid of the person who is patient and leaves his decision to Allah Almighty. This is a great lesson for the wrongdoers.
Meanwhile, PML-N leader and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Rana Shamim had recorded his statement about former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, before an oath commissioner in London.
In a Press conference with PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, Abbasi said Nawaz was taken out of politics after he was disqualified as the then Prime Minister back in 2017.
Abbasi said when the country’s Chief Justice could be involved in such practices, then how could justice be delivered in the country.
“I pray that Nisar is not involved in this act. Getting involved in the country’s affairs is unconstitutional”, he said, adding, “Nisar had visited hospitals and tried to build dams, thus we have to believe Rana Shamim’s statement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Khawaja Asif said PML-N would raise Shamim’s allegations in the Parliament, as he had recorded his statement “without any coercion”.
Shamim had stated in a affidavit that he had been witness to the then CJP Saqib Nisar’s direction to a high court judge not to release Nawaz and Maryam 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,” Shamim said in the affidavit.