Video against facts: judge

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik on Sunday categorically rejected the allegations levelled against him by Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Safdar, terming the video and audio tapes attributed to him as "fake and based on assumptions". While responding to the presser, the accountability judge, in a strongly-worded statement, categorically said that former Prime Minster was convicted on the "basis of evidence".
"The video shown during the presser of Maryam Safdar is not only against the facts but it is also a despicable attempt to mesh together various instances and topics spoken about and to present them out of context," he maintained.
He said that he was not pressurised by anyone directly or indirectly to give judgment against Nawaz Sharif. He demanded that legal action should be taken against those behind conspiracy. He said that he had seen the video attributed to him, in which serious allegations were levelled against him and efforts have been made to launch a conspiracy to defame him, his institution and his family. He continued that due to above mentioned reasons he wanted to bring the facets to the fore, adding, "I'm a resident of Rawalpindi and remained a practicing lawyer before becoming a judge. The character shown in the video - Nasir Butt - is also a resident of Rawalpndi and he is an old acquaintance".
Without specifying the reasons, he also said that Nasir Butt and his brother Abdullah Butt had met him on different times on several occasions.
The accountability judge said that following the press conference of Maryam Safdar, it was mandatory to bring the truth to the fore. He said that during the proceedings of cases against Nawaz Sharif and his family, his (Sharif) men repeatedly offered him not only bribes but also threatened him with dire consequences if he did not fulfill their demands.
He said that he plainly rejecting their demands and threats, decided to stay committed to the truth and left his life and property at the hands of Allah. "If I'd to give the verdict under pressure or agreed to be bribed, I would not have acquitted Nawaz Sharif in one case and convicted him in the other," he declared.
According to Judge Malik, dispensing justice, he convicted Sharif on the basis of evidence in Al-Azizia case and acquitted him in the Flagship case. He reiterated that he wanted to make it clear "he neither had any direct or indirect pressure nor was there any agreed bribe".
"I made these decisions knowing Allah is omnipresent and on the basis of the law and the facts. This press conference was held merely to make my decisions controversial/disputable and to gain political advantages," he maintained. He concluded by reiterating that the videos shown during the press conference were fake and based on lies and assumptions, and legal action should be taken against those individuals involved in it.
The accountability court will write a letter to Islamabad High Court (IHC) to look into the matter. Earlier on Saturday, in a press conference, while screening a video, Maryam Safdar had accused the accountability court judge of allegedly confessing, during a conversation with a sympathiser of PML-N named Nasir Butt, saying he had convicted Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference under immense pressure from hidden hands.