Ex-judge Arshad Malik dies of coronavirus

Malik was getting treatment at a private hospital

Former accountability court judge Arshad Malik passed away Friday afternoon, according to a media report.

He had contracted the novel coronavirus and died during treatment at a private hospital.

The accountability judge, who announced the verdict against former PM Nawaz Sharif in the Al Azizia Steel Mills reference, was dismissed from service over misconduct on July 3.

During an explosive press conference on July 6, 2019, Maryam had claimed the former judge was blackmailed into convicting Nawaz without any evidence and had admitted that. According to her, Malik had himself called PML-N leader Nasir Butt to his house to clear his conscience. She had also shown a video clip from their meeting.

Judge Malik, however, had said the video clip was not representative of their conversation. He had said it was cut and edited and was not reflective of what he said. The judge had said the PML-N, more notably Nawaz’s family, tried to bribe him during the former premier’s trial and when he didn’t cooperate, they threatened him.

On July 12, the IHC acting chief justice had asked the Ministry of Law to remove Judge Malik from his position as an accountability court judge until an investigation into the video scandal was completed.

The IHC, in a notification, said the disclosures made by the judge in his earlier press release and affidavit with regard to the video scandal “constitute acts of misconduct and violation of the code of conduct”.

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