‘Saqib Nisar directed not to release Nawaz, Maryam before 2018 elections’: Ex-Chief Justice GB

The 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 the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar’s direction to a high court judge not to release Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 general elections, reports Ansar Abbasi for The News.

“Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he (Saqib Nisar) became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea,” said the affidavit.

The affidavit contains the signature of the ex-CJ of Gilgit Baltistan as well as an image of his CNIC. The notary public stamped the affidavit and recorded that it was “sworn under oath before me” on November 10, 2021.

The report edited the name of the High Court justice who talked to Saqib Nisar at that time.

“In July 2018 while I was serving as the Chief Judge of the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit Baltistan, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, came to Gilgit for vacations along with 27 family members and stayed in the guest house of the court,” said the affidavit.

“That one evening when I, my late wife, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and his wife were taking tea in the lawn, I found the Chief Justice of Pakistan to be very disturbed and continued talking on the phone to his registrar, directing him to go to the residence of Justice —— of —— and request him to immediately call him (the CJP).”

“That in case his call does not get through, then convey to him on his (Mian Saqib Nisar’s) behalf that Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must not be released on bail before the general elections at any cost,” read the chief justice’s affidavit.

“That shortly afterwards he also spoke to Justice —— directly and told him that Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurance from the other side, he became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea.”

“I, as his colleague and host, requested him to spend his vacations with his family in Gilgit Baltistan and then asked him why he conveyed such a message to Justice —– and for what. He said, ‘Rana Sahib you will never understand. You must treat it as if you never heard anything.’ I told him in the presence of my late wife and his wife that Mian Nawaz Sharif has been falsely implicated and his sentence and that of Maryam Nawaz were both managed as was evident from his phone calls. He was initially disturbed to hear that but then relaxed again and said, ‘Rana Sahib the chemistry of Punjab is different from Gilgit Baltistan’.”

“That whatever is stated voluntarily herein above constitutes the complete truth,” concluding the document with the signature of Ex Cheif Justice Rana M Shamim.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter yesterday and hinted at the revelation of this story by tweeting, “What is real happiness? To be vindicated in one’s own lifetime.”

What is real happiness? To be vindicated in one’s own lifetime…… Alhamdolillah! pic.twitter.com/4FHHSTK6zK

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) November 14, 2021

Reacting to the story, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “It’s yet another vindication of Nawaz Sharif & Maryam in the court of public opinion.”

Explosive news story by Ansar Abbasi peels off a thick layer of a grand scheme employed to target Nawaz Sharif & Maryam Nawaz. Allah has His own way of revealing the truth. It’s yet another vindication of Nawaz Sharif & Maryam in the court of public opinion. Alhumdulillah!

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 15, 2021