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Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik’s dismissal approved

Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik’s dismissal approved
July 3, 2020
LAHORE (92 News) – The dismissal of Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik, who sentenced former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, has been approved over video leak controversy on Friday. According to the sources, the approval was given by a seven-member administrative committee of the Lahore High Court (LHC). The meeting was chaired by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan. The sources also said that all the material and content was overviewed during the meeting. Earlier, following a controversy revolving around the 'leaked' video tape of the judicial officer, Arshad Malik was removed from his post by the IHC. On Dec 4, 2018, Judge Malik had handed Nawaz Sharif seven years in jail in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference. However, he had acquitted him in a second reference related to Flagship Investments. On July 6, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz opened a Pandora’s box with a startling claim that the judge ‘confessed’ he had been ‘pressurised and blackmailed’ to convict her father in the Al-Azizia reference. A video containing the judge’s alleged confession during his conversation with a ‘sympathiser’ of the PML-N, Nasir Butt, was screened during a hurriedly called presser at the party’s provincial headquarters in Model Town. The next day, the judge had denied being under any pressure, but admitted that Nasir Butt was an acquaintance. The controversy continued to make news as Maryam released two more video clips in support of the first one.