Claiming that the video of former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Saqib Nisar was a confession of his ‘crime’, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday termed it a charge-sheet against him, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, she said that despite the fact that forensic test of the video had been conducted by a US firm, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was still in a mode of denial.

She said she was not aware who was the other person talking to the ex-CJP. “You may cast doubts on the authenticity of the video. But in order to remove these doubts, you better call Shaukat Siddiqui and former top judge of the Gilgit-Baltistan chief court Rana Shamim, who are still alive.  

She challenged the people raising questions over the genuineness of the video asking them to tell the nation about functions from which the excerpts of Saqib Nisar’s speeches were taken to blend these into one video.

Maryam said she wanted to make it clear to Saqib Nisar that if not today, one day he would have to tell the nation the truth. “For how long, will you keep brushing it under the carpet?” she queried.

“Mr. Nisar, be bold and reveal the names of those who pressured you into giving the verdict against me and my father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (NS). Who had asked you to pave the way for Imran Khan to become the country’s prime minister?” she said, and asked the ex-CJP as to why, what she claimed, he allowed the ‘murder of justice’ to happen. “Please tell this to the nation,” she urged Nisar.

PML-N vice president claimed that when the former CJP was asked to take the matter to the court, he had said he was not insane that he would keep knocking at the court’s door. 

Earlier, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said that the audiotape of Justice (retd) Saqib Nisar has gone through the forensic test which was carried out by an American company.

Maryam Nawaz said this while talking to media regarding the audiotape allegedly containing the voice of former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar.

Responding to a question, Maryam said she did not know who the former CJP was talking to in the audiotape.

Earlier, Maryam Nawaz said that when somebody committed a crime, there was a proof of it. She was having an informal chat with 24News TV channel inside the courtroom of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Responding to a question that whether new videos were in the pipeline, Maryam said she did not have any idea. However, at the same time she opined that every crime had proof.  

Expressing ignorance about the person talking to former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Saqib Nisar in a leaked video, PML-N vice president said she would address a presser at Islamabad’s Chak Shehzad area on the video. “The forensic test of the video has been conducted by an American firm,” she told 24News.

She claimed that Justice Shaukat Siddiqui was the first person who had given the testimony in support of her allegation that she and her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif were disqualified to pave the way for PTI chief Imran Khan to become the country’s prime minister. 

“It is the government which is the real culprit. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is merely a tool in its hands,” she said, and added, “This is not Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) foreign funding case that she will ask for adjournment in its hearings. It is the NAB, and not me, who is delaying verdict in the case.” 

She claimed that the bureau did not have any proof of her involvement in the Avenfield case, and added that anti-corruption watchdog felt embarrassed when the IHC asked its counsel about the evidence.

Truth of the matter is that, she went on to add, it was the present government which had filed cases against her.

When the channel asked her as to what she had to say about former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks in which he had said that Maryam was his daughter, she replied she was thankful to him.

IHC adjourns hearing of Maryam Nawaz’s appeal in Avenfield reference: 

Earlier, the IHC adjourned the hearing of Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (r) Safdar’s appeals against the sentences handed down to them in Avenfield reference until December 21 on the request of Irfan Qadir Advocate. 

It is reminded here that the NAB had sought time from the court on the last hearing so that it could prepare its arguments in the case. 

Reporters Saud Butt and Ehtisham Kiyani