Judge Arshad Malik, who was sacked in the video scandal, appealed against the departmental sentence. It is worth mentioning here that Arshad Malik had sentenced former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
According to details, Judge Arshad Malik sought annulment of the decision of the High Court’s management committee to dismiss the sentence by declaring it illegal. It is unjustified for the inquiry officer to reject the position that the meeting with Nawaz Sharif was held under pressure, he prayed.
Arshad Malik in his position said that several threats were received during the hearing of high profile case, blackmail was also done during the hearing of Nawaz Sharif case but the he did not change his stance in the case during inquiry, video scandal documents presented in defense of allegations. The evidence was unjustifiably rejected by the Inquiry Officer, who was pressured to make a biased decision in the references against Nawaz Sharif but did justice to his duty.
Despite receiving harassment, blackmail and threats from Nasir Butt, he ruled impartially, ruling on the flagship and Hill Metal Establishment reference against former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif on merit, Judge Arshad Malik said in a plea. He said that the decision of the executive committee of the court to dismiss him was illegal. The appeal of former judge Arshad Malik will be fixed for hearing before Punjab Subordinate Judicial Service Tribunal comprising two judges of the Lahore High Court.
It should be noted that Judge Arshad Malik had sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to 7 years imprisonment in Azizia reference. The Islamabad High Court had removed him from the post of accountability court judge on August 22, 2019 after the controversial video came to light.
On July 6, 2019, Maryam Nawaz leaked a video of Judge Arshad Malik in a press conference. On the recommendation of Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, departmental action was taken on the charges against Judge Arshad Malik. September 14, 2019 was not OSD. The Chief Justice of the High Court had directed Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem to hold a departmental inquiry against Judge Arshad Malik.