ISLAMABAD – Nasir Janjua, Mahar Ghulam Jilani and Khurram Yousaf, the accused in Judge Arshad Malik video scandal were released by a judicial magistrate on Saturday.
The directives came after the Federal Investigation Agency submitted a report implying that no evidence was found against them in connection with an investigation into a video leak scandal involving former accountability court judge; the accused were in the custody of FIA.
“In view of the contentions of the parties and material available on the record, it is evident that not a single piece of evidence is available on the record against the present accused,” the statement by FIA read.
Nasir Janjua, Mahar Ghulam Jilani and Khurram Yousaf were arrested on Monday and were sent on a five-day physical remand.
The three men were picked up in connection with Judge Malik’s FIR against them for allegedly pressurising and blackmailing him.
During the case hearing on Monday, Janjua’s counsel contended that FIA’s report stated that the plan to record the video – regarding the discussion on Al-Azizia steel mills reference – was made by Nasir Butt and that his clients had nothing to do with it.
Judge Mehmood asked if the investigation report mentioned Janjua’s name.
To this, Janjua’s lawyer said there is nothing in the report ‘that says that my client has been accused of anything.’
The Controversy
The former accountability court judge, Arshad Malik has been at the centre of controversy after PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz alleged in July that he had been blackmailed into giving the verdict against Sharif.
According to judge Malik’s affidavit, Tariq Mahmood, an old acquaintance of his, had been the one to show him a secretly recorded manipulated immoral video [showing him] in a compromising position.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/supreme-court-announces-verdict-on-judge-arshad-malik-video-scandal-case/
The judge claimed that this video was later used by Sharif’s long-time supporter Butt to blackmail him. The judge had admitted that he met Nasir Janjua at the residence of former premier Nawaz Sharif in Jati Umra.
The judge was removed after the scandal surfaced.
Who’s Nasir Janjua?
The judge, in his affidavit, revealed a meeting that took place in early 2018, wherein an acquaintance named Nasir Janjua associated with the PML-N, “implored” him to issue verdicts of acquittal in the Al-Azizia and Flagship references.
The judge quoted Janjua as saying that it was on his personal recommendation that he [Malik] was appointed as judge in the accountability court adding that during the arguments stage of the references’ trial, he was again approached by Janjua with a “financial offer” from Nawaz of Rs100 million but that he refused the offer.
