Judge video scandal: Accused issued notices to appear before court on January 8

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (cyber crimes) Court on Tuesday issued notices to the accused of the judge video scandal case and directed them to appear before it on January 8.

The cyber crimes judge hearing the case issued notices to eight accused including Nasir Butt, Saleem Raza, Nasir Janjua, Khurram Yousaf, Mahar Jilani, Main Tariq, Hamza Arif Butt and Fasial Shehzad.

The judge issued directives to ensure presence of all the accused before it on the next hearing. The court asked for arguments on the next hearing regarding transfer of the judge video scandal case to the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) as well as over the bail application of accused Hamza Arif.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had requested the judge to transfer this case to the ATC since the investigation was transferred from its Cyber Crimes Wing to Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW) on the complaint of Judge Arshad Malik who in a secretly recorded controversial video confessed to having convicted Nawaz Sharif under duress.

Judge Malik who has been suspended following the release of the video expressed doubts on FIA's Cyber Crimes Wing after it declared three suspects Nasir Janjua, Khurram Yousaf and Ghulam Jilani innocent.

The FIA on Judge Malik's complaint transferred the inquiry to CTW and also filed an application to cyber crimes court to transfer the case to ATC as the CTW conducts investigation under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).