ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday gave last opportunity to the former Chief Judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Muhammad Shamim, to submit his reply in a contempt of court case, in which he has already been indicted.

Rana Shamim is facing a contempt of court case in the IHC after his controversial affidavit was published in ‘The News’. In his published affidavit, Rana Shamim had alleged that former Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had directed an IHC judge not to grant bail to ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif before the 2018 general election are held.

Rana Shamim apprised the court on Monday that his counsel could not draft his response as he was ill. He requested the court to grant him more time so that he may submit his response to the court’s show cause notice. The IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah then directed the Gilgit Baltistan ex-Chief Judge to engage another counsel if his earlier counsel was not available.

The Chief Justice also asked Rana Shamim that his affidavit had no justification and it was just a part of a political narrative. The Chief Justice inquired from Rana Shamim that whether he had sent notices to the two major newspapers in which his affidavit was published. Rana Shamim said he will send the notices to the newspapers soon. He said he had not leaked his affidavit.

Meanwhile, the court gave last opportunity to Rana Shamim to submit his response and adjourned the hearing until April 4.

On January 20, the IHC had indicted Rana Shamim on contempt of court charges. However, the court had deferred framing charges against media persons involved in the case including ‘Editor Investigation”, Editor-in-Chief and Resident Editor of The News Ansar Abbasi, Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman and Aamir Ghauri respectively.

Earlier on March 1, Rana Shamim had filed an intra-court appeal in the IHC challenging his indictment.