ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday indicted former Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice Rana Shamim in contempt of court case.
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. Meanwhile, the CJ IHC has adjourned the indictment of Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Ansar Abbasi and Amir Ghauri and adjourned the further proceedings of the case until February 15.
It may be noted that the AGP had requested the court to defer the indictment of the journalists in the case. Earlier in today’s hearing, the lawyer of Rana Shamim had sought more time from the court in the contempt case. Attorney General Khalid Javed and Advocate General Islamabad Niazullah Niazi, former Chief Justice Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim, Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Ansar Abbasi and Amir Ghauri appeared in the court.
The court had remarked that Rana Shamim, Mir Shakeel, Amir Ghauri and Ansar Abbasi will be indicted in contempt of court case at 11 am. The chief justice asked Rana Shamim to come to the rostrum for indictment. To this, former Chief Justice Gilgit-Baltistan asked the court to grant him time and let his lawyer reach the court.
After which the court had adjourned the hearing on the absence of former Chief Justice Gilgit-Baltistan lawyer and said that Rana Shamim, Mir Shakeel, Amir Ghauri and Ansar Abbasi would be indicted at 11 o’clock.
After the resumption of the court proceedings, former Chief Justice Gilgit-Baltistan lawyer Latif Afridi’s assistant asked for more time, on which Chief Justice Minallah remarked that this court should be respected. Journalist Afzal Butt said that the court should give time, we had no idea how to report under investigation cases. The chief justice remarked that the court was defamed by a newspaper and an article.