Social media sees debate over ex-GB judge’s move

KARACHI: Former GB Justice Rana Shamim’s unconditional apology to the Islamabad High Court for a “wrong and unnecessary affidavit” has led to a debate on social media on whether the retraction is a negation of the whole of the original affidavit.

Clarifying the recent retraction by Judge Rana Shamim, Editor Investigations The News Ansar Abbasi says that “even today, [Justice retd] Rana Shamim did not say that what Jang Group published was wrong. Because Rana Shamim’s affidavit had reached the court and its content was 100 per cent the same as what we published. If today, Rana Shamim has changed his statement or taken a U-turn, this is something he has to clarify, not us”.

The senior journalist’s remarks come as the PTI social media landscape, including PTI leaders and supporters, have taken Justice (retd) Rana Shamim’s retraction of his affidavit as proof enough to target The News and its reporter with unfounded allegations regarding a ‘media campaign’ around the original affidavit signed by the judge.

Responding to the attacks by Twitter trolls against The News/Jang-Geo, senior journalist Murtaza Solangi tweets that the “troll brigade is now opening the floodgates of abuse against senior journalist Ansar Abbasi because he reported [the] facts. If [the] ex judge goes back on his affidavit, it says more about him than Abbasi”.

In a tweet, senior journalist Matiullah Jan says: “Another affidavit of former GB Judge Rana Shamim was leaked to the media in Pakistan... earlier an affidavit was leaked from London. Now its unclear whether Rana Shamim was lying in London or in Pakistan. [He]had also taken the name of his late wife in the ‘lie’ [original affidavit]”.

Giving a legal analysis of the issue, in a Twitter thread posted on Saturday, lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii says: “I have now read and re-read the updated withdrawal which [former judge] Rana Shamim has offered today. When he apologised for specifically what he got wrong on 12.09, the IHC CJ wanted him to apologise unconditionally and withdraw from the whole affidavit rather than carve out exceptions. So he has done so, and called the affidavit unnecessary. He stated ‘I regret rather apologize for an incorrect affidavit where the name of an honourable judge was mistakenly and unintentionally mentioned.’ He means ONE judge mentioned incorrectly -- J Farooq not J Saqib Nisar”.

Jaferii’s sentiments were also shared by senior journalist Abbas Nasir who also tweeted that Judge Rana Shamim “has only retracted the part where he names a judge of the IHC. Nothing else”.