*ISLAMABAD: Accountability Judge Arshad Malik in an affidavit submitted tothe law claimed that he was blackmailed and offered bribes to favor NawazSharif in the Al-Azizia Reference Case.*
Judge Arshad Malik who has been under the scanner since the past few daysin reference to the ‘video leak’ scandal against him, claiming that thejudge announced a verdict against Nawaz Sharif under duress has claimedthat he was under immense pressure to pardon Nawaz Sharif.
Arshad Malik in his written statement has claimed that he was blackmailedby the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) through and old video tape ofhim which had secretly been filmed in Multan 16 years ago, sources claimed.
The tape was used to blackmail me over and over again and wanted favors forthe accused PML-N supremo, read the affidavit.
Sources further revealed that the affidavit describes a meeting of thejudge with the deposed Prime Minister at his residence to which he wastaken to by two men.
Nawaz Sharif before being sentenced to jail in that meeting asked the judgeto hold a dialogue with the two men who had brought him to the former threetime Prime Minister’s residence, Jati Umra.
The judge also revealed in the affidavit that he was offered huge bribesand was also threatened with murder if he didn’t comply with the demands.
Sources unveiled that the PML-N leadership offered him residence andsettlement in a foreign country of his chosen if he gave a verdict to theirliking.
The judge said that he was in a tremendous amount of pressure, his familieslife and his own was at stake.
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Unearthing an incident from the times when the case was still in processand a verdict hadn’t been reached, the judge had gone to perform Umrahwhere people of the PML-N came and offered him bribes up to Rs 500 millionif he let the PML-N leader go scot-free.
The sources continued further that the affidavit entails how the judge wasstill being blackmailed through some more videos and life threats and wasbeing told to keep his mouth shut to save himself further embarrassment andhumiliation.
Judge Arshad Malik though has owned the videos that have been leaked by thePML-N leadership and has claimed that he gave those testimonies due toimmense pressures of several kinds from the political party and it’ssupporters.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) earlier today decided to removeaccountability court judge Arshad Malik from his post.
A spokesperson of the law ministry announced the decision of the judge’sremoval in light of the ongoing ‘video leak’ controversy.
The Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court in a letter has requested theMinistry of Law to remove Judge Arshad Malik from his duties till adecision on the controversy is revealed.
