Pakistan Law Ministry approached to remove video controversy judge

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday requested Pakistan's Law Ministry to remove Accountability Judge Arshad Malik from his post over a video controversy.

The acting IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq directed the registrar office to write a letter to the Ministry regarding relieving Judge Malik of his post and repatriating him to the parent department, the Lahore High Court, Dawn news quoted a source in the IHC as saying.

Earlier in the day, the Judge had written a letter to the IHC refuting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz's allegations and a video purportedly showing him admitting to lack of evidence against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reports Geo News.

Last week, the party had released a video that purportedly shows Malik speaking to Nasir Butt, a PML-N worker, claiming that he was coerced to hand down the prison sentence against Sharif despite there being no proof of corruption against the deposed premier. 

In an affidavit submitted to the IHC, Malik denied the contents of the video and termed them as edited, fabricated, aimed to defame him, sources said.

Last December, the accountability court judge had sentenced Sharif to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference.