‘Judge who convicted Nawaz to be removed from post’

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to sack Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik, who convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia corruption reference, a private media outlet reported Friday. 

Earlier, the judge had written a letter to the IHC, refuting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s allegations and the leaked tapes that purportedly showed him admitting to sentencing Nawaz after being blackmailed.

PML-N leadership last Saturday had released the tapes that allegedly showed Malik confessing in front of a party worker named Nasir Butt.

In the tapes, the judge was heard claiming he was coerced to hand down the prison sentence against the former PM despite there being no proof of corruption against him.

In a subsequent press release, Malik had denied the contents of the video and termed them as edited, fabricated and aimed to defame him. He, however, had admitted knowing the PML-N worker and his brother.

Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has demanded that Nawaz’s sentence be nullified and the former premier be immediately released.