ISLAMABAD: A purported audio leak involving former chief justice Saqib Nisar and lawyer Khawaja Tariq Raheem has emerged, adding to the controversy stirred up by a leaked phone call between the mother-in-law of the incumbent top judge of the Supreme Court and the latter’s wife.
In the alleged audio clip, Nisar discusses the judgement of a seven-member bench on a “suo motu” notice taken by the apex court in 2010 with Raheem and asks him to investigate the matter.
The former top judge is heard describing the details of the judgment and stating that it provides a “way out” for them.
The conversation also touches on the removal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sardar Tanveer Ilyas as the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir over contempt of court.
Raheem mentions plans to file another contempt case, to which Nisar suggests filing one against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif through Muneer Ahmed.
In the video, Raheem mentions that a verdict by the three-member bench regarding the case of clipping the top justice’s powers will be issued soon. An eight-member bench had previously issued a stay on the case.
The three-member bench has ordered the government to release Rs21 billion by April 27 for snap polls and warned of serious consequences for non-compliance with the order.
Meanwhile, Nisar spoke to Geo News following the release of the audio clip and said the conversation was private, and that he did not recall when or which case they had discussed.
“It is a violation of privacy for a conversation between two individuals to be shared in this manner,” Nisar said.
The former top judge also responded to accusations made in the leaked audio, asking if he had “sold Kashmir or made a deal about Pakistan.” He went on to condemn the leak, maintaining that “audio leaks are stolen property. Stealing and selling such property is the work of cursed people.”