- CJP rules conditions of agreement not to be discussed in media
LAHORE: Hamza Shahbaz Sharif and Ayesha Ahad Malik — who claims to be his wife — have decided to withdraw all cases against each other after Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday arbitrated between the two in a bid to resolve their longstanding differences.
The announcement came after the Supreme Court urged the two to resolve the matter amicably between themselves, warning that it would otherwise have to form a joint investigation team to probe their allegations.
Ahad and Hamza were summoned to the court over the case filed by the former accusing him of violence, issuing threats to life and usurpation of possessions, including jewellery, a mobile phone and her purse. The woman had alleged that people sent by Hamza forcefully took her laptop, nikahnama (marriage contract), and other documents.
During the hearing on Monday, the CJP said Hamza and Ahad would not issue statements against each other.
He remarked that the terms on which they settled cannot be shared with the media.
Malik had told the court that she could swear on oath that she was married to Hamza, who in turn also stated that he could say on oath that they had never contracted marriage.
Malik told the court she married him in 2010.
Hamza stated that there was no proof of a Nikah (marriage) agreement between the two, while she claimed that she had witnesses who were present on the occasion.
“If proven that you were living together without marrying, it would be a major embarrassment,” the CJP warned him.
The chief justice had initially told Hamza that the constitution allowed him to divorce Ahad, adding that he could play the third party’s role if parties to the case wanted him to.
The chief justice stopped Hamza’s counsel Zahid Hassan Bukhari from presenting his arguments, observing he wanted to hear what Hamza and Ahad had to say.
Justice Nisar had subsequently summoned both Sharif and Malik to his chambers to discuss the matter after both remained unwilling to relent.
Following an hour-long discussion in the chamber, the chief justice announced that an agreement had been reached between the two.
He ruled that the two will not indulge in passing any comments against each other on media and would not publicly discuss the conditions agreed upon in the discussion.
On Sunday, the chief justice had summoned Hamza and Ahad to appear before the apex court. During the hearing of Ahad’s case at Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, her counsel had said that arrests had yet to be made despite the fact that a case had been registered.
To this, the chief justice had responded, “If Hamza Shehbaz is in town then he should appear before the apex court’s Lahore Registry tomorrow.”
