Arshad Malik's just deserts | Talat Hussain

Syed Talat Hussain

With the dismissal from service of Judge Arshad Malik whose court had declared ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif guilty in the famous Al-Azizia corruption case is justice well-served---but only half of it. The judge had thoroughly degraded himself through a series of leaked videos pertaining to his sexual exploits and his casual confessions of being pressurized to give the verdict that knocked out Mr. Sharif. The judge’s actions spoke to the low level of probity he maintained which left the senior members of the Lahore High Court with no option but to let the bad egg be sorted out.

To the extent, the judge had disgraced himself and his profession he deserved this fate, but his lowliness is but just one part of the dirt-pool that was created in the name of accountability to drown the main opposition party PML-N’s leadership.  Other cases in other courts including the National Accountability’s own drive against corruption are totally tainted by the same slur of manipulation and blackmail.

Judge Arshad was unlucky and foolish to be caught; there are a few out there like him who hide behind lofty rhetoric and pretended sainthood despite deeds more despicable than Arshad Malik’s.

The timing of this development is also interesting. It has happened when prime minister Imran is already feeling with the weight of his own follies.  In desperation, he is stepping up the accountability rhetoric making the process murkier and even more dubious than it already is. His party has used cases like Al-Azizia as standard examples to build the narrative that Mr. Sharif is corrupt. With the convicting judge being shown the door by his superiors, big question marks now hang over the entire campaign to malign the opposition based on judgments like he gave. This is why Shehbaz Sharif was quick to praise the sacking of the judge as a victory of the party’s stance that Nawaz Sharif is a victim and not a criminal.

The LHC Administrative Committee's decision of sacking Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik establishes that Nawaz Sharif was unjustly sentenced. His innocence stands proven today. As a natural corollary, Mian sb's sentence ought to be declared null & void.

— Shehbaz Sharif (Stay at home to stay safe) (@CMShehbaz) July 3, 2020

Will Nawaz Sharif’s appeal against his conviction by the Arshad Malik court be now influenced by the sacking of the judge? Logically, it should. The judge’s misconduct was in the same case and not in another one and therefore the travesty of justice rule does apply.

But then don't hold your breath over this prospect. Even more interesting are judge Arshad Malik’s conversations with Nawaz Sharif when he went there to see him. There he names names-----characters, who pulled the strings to string Mr. Sharif upside down to allow Prime Minister Imran to have a free run in politics. Those tapes are yet to be shown. Those are real bombshells.