Leaked audio of conversation allegedly claims that former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar was the person who passed on the directions of handing down conviction to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz only because the “institutions” wanted the former prime minister penalised in order to bring ahead Imran Khan, reports Ahmed Noorani for Fact Focus.
As per the leaked audio, Chief Justice Nisar instructed that Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif) and his daughter (Maryam Nawaz) must be sentenced even though it is unfair.
“Whether it is fair or not, it has to be done,” he conveyed to the person on the other end.
“Regardless of the merit, we will have to do it (sentence Nawaz Sharif), and even to his daughter,” said Justice Nisar.
When the person he was conversing with objected that a sentence cannot be passed against the daughter, Chief Justice Nisar replied, “You are absolutely correct. I did talk to ‘friends’ that something be done about this but they did not agree.”
He went on to say, “there will remain no independence of the judiciary, so let it be”.
While speaking to Fact Focus, Justice Saqib Nisar said that he never contacted any judge of accountability court to order him to pass any verdict against Nawaz Sharif or his daughter. “Why I would do that,” Saqib Nisar questioned adding, “I have no grudges against Mian Nawaz Sharif.” He said that no one from the Pakistan Army or the ISI ever contacted him or pressured him on this count.
Reacting to the development, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “Time has come to right the wrongs inflicted on them. The nation looks forward to [the] justice system.”
Maryam Nawaz tweeted: “Allah u Akbar [God is great].”
Fact Focus obtained this audio some two months ago and had it examined by a leading American firm specialising in multimedia forensics. Garret Discovery has a team of leading experts who have a long experience of analysing and presenting evidence and testifying before courts in the United States (US). The firm’s analysis report certifies the integrity of the audio file and states that “this audio has not been edited in any way”.
Former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar was earlier accused by former Chief Judge (CJ) of the apex court of Gilgit Baltistan Rana M Shamim in a signed affidavit wrote that he is a witness to CJP Nisar’s direction to a high court judge, to not release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections.
