News Desk |
The Supreme Court has issued notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Maryam Nawaz and others on a petition requesting the court for an independent judicial inquiry of the video scandal involving accountability court judge Arshad Malik.
Geo News reported that the Supreme Court has taken up the petition of a man, Ishtiaq Ahmed, and issued notices to Maryam, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Zafarul Haq, and others.
The Express Tribune, however, has reported only that court has admitted the petition for preliminary hearing filed a day earlier requesting a thorough investigation into the controversial secretly taped video of the judge. The paper said that the petitioner has moved the petition through his counsel Chaudhry Munir Sadiq.
Last week, Maryam flanked by senior most party leaders had unveiled a video in news conference showing judge Malik confessing before a PML-N worker Nasir Butt
Both the media outlets stated that the case is fixed for hearing on July 16. A three-judge bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa will hear the petition.
Reportedly, the development has come minutes after the Law Ministry barred judge Malik from serving as an accountability court judge after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) requested his removal over the videogate scandal.
In the news story, The Express Tribune stated that it is for the first time in the tenure of Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa that the top court has entertained constitutional petition without raising any objections.
Read more: Leaked Video of Judge Arshad Malik: How will it Impact the Ongoing Cases against the Sharifs?
Last week, Maryam flanked by senior most party leaders had unveiled a video in news conference showing judge Malik confessing before a PML-N worker Nasir Butt that he was pressured into convicting the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference.
Petitioner seeks Inquiry to Determine Truth
“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.
The paper reported that Ishtiaq Mirza, a lawyer by profession and a social worker, has 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.