Judge Arshad Malik debunks Maryam’s concocted story

On Saturday, Maryam Nawaz in a press conference had released separate audio and video tracks of meeting and conversation allegedly between Nasir Butt of PML-N and judge of accountability court Arshad Malik in an effort to make the verdict against Nawaz Sharif controversial. In the process, she crossed all the limits. Accountability judge Arshad Malik on Sunday rejected Maryam Nawaz’s allegations from a day earlier that the judge had convicted Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference under immense pressure from hidden hands saying that the former premier was convicted on the basis of evidence. The judge, in a press release issued on Sunday, said: “Serious allegations were made against me; it was a conspiracy to affect my credibility as well as that of my institution and my family. Therefore, I want to present the facts”. It was denouement of Maryam’s story, which was made public in a press conference.
Judge Arshad Malik added that the video shown in Maryam Safdar sahiba’s press conference was not only contrary to the facts but it was also a despicable attempt to mesh together various instances and topics spoken about, and to present them out of context. Challenging the authenticity of the tape released by Maryam Nawaz, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Firdous said forensic audit of controversial video tape will be conducted to establish its status. She was right in saying that it was possible that Nasir Butt had taken a briefcase to the judge to get a favourable verdict but when he refused to oblige, the tape was released. She alleged that Maryam was hurling threats at institutions. Barrister Shehzad said judiciary was the right forum to look into this matter. However, legal experts are of the view that it was violation of law to record private conversation of any judge.
The nation still remembers the way PML-N leaders and activists had attacked the court of the then CJ Sajjad Ali Shah forcing him to leave the court room. In January 2018, while addressing the lawyers at Punjab House, among other things Nawaz Sharif had said: “Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rehman was not a rebel, but was made into one due to tragic consequences that followed the state’s refusal to allow a popularly elected leader to hold the prime minister’s office.” Historical evidence suggested that Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman was in liaison with India, and the latter had trained Mukti Bahini. Indian leaders including current Prime Minister Narendera Modi had confessed having played role in disintegration of Pakistan. From his narrative and statements it appeared that despite exiles and ignominious incarceration of politicians in the past, no lessons seem to have been learnt.
Since his disqualification in July 2017 by the Supreme Court, he started campaign against the judiciary, military establishment and other institutions. In his speeches Nawaz Sharif said that none of the prime ministers could complete his term due to establishment and judiciary’s alliance. He conveniently forgot that he had been instrumental in prime minister Benezir Bhutto’s ouster twice and had betrayed PML (J) leader Mohammad Khan Junejo, and later formed PML (N) with the blessings of then COAS and president General Zia-ul-Haq. In his second stint as prime minister, Mian Nawaz Sharif had charted the course to become a dictator after passing of 13th and 14th amendment to the constitution. He had the 15th amendment passed by the national assembly to make him Amir-ul-Momenin, but due to lack of numbers, it could not be passed in the Senate. He was overthrown by Pervez Musharraf, what he called, in a counter coup.