SC wraps up Nawaz Sharif's review petition in Arshad Malik video case

A three-member bench headed by CJP Asif Saeed Khosa presided over the petition.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Tuesday wound up a review petition filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif seeking reconsideration of the Aug 23 order which had held that the video clip concerning former accountability court judge Arshad Malik would only benefit the petitioner if its genuineness was established.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa presided over the petition while senior counsel Khawaja Haris presented arguments on behalf of Mr Sharif.

The top judge remarked that whatever had been pleaded for review in the petition, the apex court had already agreed to that.

“If you want your right to be preserved, then we can rewrite the previous [order] […] it is written in the judgment that there is no room for our interference and intervention [in the case] as the matter stays with the Islamabad High Court,” CJP Khosa stated. “Let it be a judicial affair,” he added.

The petitioner expressed concerns whether or not the press conference’s revelations, made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz in her media interaction in Lahore, had affected judiciary in any way.

The CJP responded that the court considered the matter in accordance with the Law, and gave ruling that the IHC has total independency for judgment on the video scandal case.

“The applications were rejected in the light of the Constitution […] how do we accept that the judiciary was affected?

Comments had begun that the Islamabad High Court’s hands were tied […] this is what happens when the comments begin without reading the verdict,” the judge lamented.

The court further stated that the concerned parties were not sent notice as the applications were not approved.

To this, Mr Haris argued that he had come to the court for some reason.

“Whatever you are asking for, we have already given you,” the CJP responded.

The video clip along with its transcripts shown by Maryam Nawaz had never been duly proved in accordance with the law, the order had said.

An SC bench headed by CJP Khosa, while disposing of a set of identical petitions in the video scandal case, had held that the video clip of Arshad Malik would only benefit the former premier if it was properly produced before the Islamabad High Court in a pending appeal against his conviction.

The petition had highlighted that the appeal against the conviction of Mr Sharif under the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, was pending before the IHC. Therefore, it added, the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction under any provision of the NAO or even otherwise to pre-empt the decision with respect to any manner that fell within the jurisdiction of the high court concerned in its appellate jurisdiction.

The Aug 23 order had been issued by the apex court in respect to issues that were pertinent to the appeals pending before the IHC, the petition had explained.