The Supreme Court on Friday admitted a petition submitted by a citizen seeking an independent judicial inquiry of the video scandal involving Accountability Court judge Arshad Malik.
The case has been fixed for hearing by a three-judge bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa. The court has issued notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Zafarul Haq, and others.
The development comes minutes after the Law Ministry barred Arshad Malik from serving as accountability court judge after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requested his removal over the scandal. The petition was moved by Ishtiaq Mirza through his counsel Chaudhry Munir Sadiq on Thursday asking the court to take notice of the controversial video ‘targeting the judiciary’ released by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz. Last week, Maryam flanked by senior party leaders had unveiled a video in news conference showing Judge Malik confessing before PML-N worker Nasir Butt that he was pressured into convicting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia case. “In these circumstances and surrounding realities, it is most respectfully prayed that an inquiry may be ordered to be conducted so as to determine the truth,” said the petitioner in his application, and requested the apex court to issue necessary directives for ensuring the independence of judiciary including proceedings for the contempt of court against those found guilty.
