ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed contempt of court proceedings against former Gilgit-Baltistan chief judge Rana Shamim and others in the case linked to an affidavit published during the Panama Papers saga, declaring the matter “infructuous.”
The proceedings had stemmed from a 2021 affidavit allegedly written by Rana Shamim, in which he purportedly made statements in favour of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The affidavit was published by journalist Ansar Abbasi in a national newspaper, prompting the IHC to take suo motu notice at the time.
Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar presided over the latest hearing. Rana Shamim did not appear before the court, while Advocate Aamir Abdullah represented journalist Ansar Abbasi and media owner Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
During the proceedings, Abdullah informed the court that Shamim had earlier submitted a written apology, and since the case had not been re-listed for further hearings, it had effectively become redundant. The Deputy Attorney General also confirmed that the charge was only to be framed against Shamim and that his apology had been accepted in earlier proceedings.
Observing that the case had lost its relevance, Chief Justice Dogar remarked that “the proceedings have become ineffective and should therefore be concluded.” The court subsequently dismissed the case.
The contempt case had initially been initiated by former IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah after the publication of Shamim’s affidavit, which had stirred political and legal controversy amid the fallout of the Panama Papers verdict.
