Court reserves verdict on plea seeking transfer of video leak case to ATC

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ISLAMABAD: A cybercrime court on Monday reserved its verdict on a petition filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) requesting to transfer the case involving the scandalous video of former accountability judge Muhammad Arshad Malik to an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The FIA prosecutor informed the court that terrorism clauses have been added to the charges against the judge, therefore, under the law, the case can be transferred to the ATC.

After hearing the arguments from both parties, the court reserved its verdict on the petition.

Malik, who had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption case, became the center of controversy after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz came out with explosive claims regarding the accountability judge.

In a press conference in July, Maryam had aired a video in which Malik allegedly confessed to a PML-N supporter, Nasir Butt, that he had been pressured into convicting Nawaz. She demanded that the Al-Azizia verdict be overturned and said that the entire judicial process had been severely compromised.

Malik, who denied Maryam’s claims, was repatriated to his parent department, the Lahore High Court (LHC).