Arshad Malik video case verdict: Video can’t benefit Nawaz unless produced before IHC, rules SC

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its detailed verdict on the video case of Judge Arshad Malik has said the video cannot be of any legal benefit to Nawaz Sharif unless it is properly produced before the Islamabad High Court in the pending appeal.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday issued its detailed verdict on petitions in the video case of Judge Malik, where it also said the video’s genuineness would also have to be established and the same proven in accordance with the law for it to be treated as evidence in Sharif’s case.

Authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, the 25-page verdict stated that it was not the appropriate stage for the Supreme Court to interfere in the matter of the relevant video and its effects, particularly when the video may have relevance to a criminal appeal presently sub-judice before the Islamabad High Court.

It added that a criminal investigation was already being conducted into the matter by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), some other offences or illegalities under some other laws referred to by the Attorney General might also entail inquiries or investigations by the competent agencies or fora and any probe into the matter by a commission to be constituted by the government or by the court may end up only with an opinion which may have no relevance or admissibility in the relevant appeal pending before the Islamabad High Court.

According to the verdict, the relevant video could not be of any legal benefit to Nawaz Sharif unless it was properly produced before the Islamabad High Court in the pending appeal, its genuineness was established and then the same was proven in accordance with the law for it to be treated as evidence in the case.

The case was heard by a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Khosa and also comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed.

Meanwhile, Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan has summoned LHC administration committee meeting on August 26 to discuss action against the former accountability court judge.

According to LHC sources, the seven-member administration committee would consider disciplinary proceedings to be conducted against the judge over the video leak controversy.

The committee will be headed by the LHC chief justice and will also consist of Justices Mamoon Rashid Sheikh, Muhammad Qasim Khan, Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Amin-ud-Din Khan, Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan.

A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court suspended Malik over the video leak controversy and repatriated him to his parent department — the Lahore High Court — for disciplinary proceedings.