ISLAMABAD - Former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Rana Shamim on Wednesday moved an application before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and objected over appointment of the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) as prosecutor in a contempt case against him and others for publishing a controversial affidavit of the former.
In this matter, a single bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah is hearing the case wherein he had already issued show cause notices to Shakil ur Rehman, Editor in Chief, Aamir Ghouri, Editor, Ansar Abbasi and Rana Mohammad Shamim, former Chief Judge of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan after publication of a news item claiming that Rana Shamim executed an affidavit in which he levelled allegations against former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. 
In his application, Rana Shamim stated that on December 12, 2021, this court appointed Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan as a prosecutor in the contempt case which is fixed for framing of the charge sheet against the alleged contemnors.
He adopted, “The Attorney General Khalid Javed is hostile towards the applicant from day one despite the fact that he was neither appointed as prosecutor nor was he a complainant in the case yet he pointed his fingers towards the applicant. The learned Attorney General’s conduct was not of a disinterested or unbiased officer of the court.”
He added that the AGP represents the Federal Government which is in the hands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Rana further said that the AGP is bent on spinning this matter for ulterior motives and he is more interested to get him (Rana Shamim) convicted on one hand and please the PTI government on the other hand. 
“The conduct gives a strong perception that the Attorney General is acting as a counsel for the ruling political party,” maintained the former GB judge. 
He said that the Advocate General Islamabad is available to the court and he is the natural choice to be a prosecutor in the normal court. He added the AG would be better placed to act as the prosecutor in the circumstances.
Therefore, Rana prayed to the court that the services of the Attorney General as prosecutor may be dispensed with and Advocate General Islamabad be appointed as a prosecutor in the present case.