Justice Asif Saeed Khosa recuses from Hudaibiya Paper Mills reopening case
ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT ONLINE):Justice Asif Saeed Khosaon Monday recused himself from a Supreme Court bench, constituted
to hear the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case and asked Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar
to set up a new bench to hear the case.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who was appointed to head the bench, distanced himself from
the case as soon as the court proceedings started and said, “I think the Registrar’s office made
a mistake by putting this case on my roster as I have already written 14 paragraphs on this
matter in the April 20 Panama Papers verdict.”
“I think the Registrar’s office has not read my verdict in Panama Papers case. In it, I
even gave my ruling on the matter as far as Ishaq Dar is concerned,” he added.
Recapping his verdict in the case, Justice Khosa said, “Ishaq Dar was an accused in the
case, then he turned into an approver.” “However, once the previous verdict in the case is going
to be rendered void, Dar’s status as approver will also end,” he added.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor asked the court that the case be heard
during next week.
Approving the NAB prosecutor’s request, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa sent an application to the
Chief Justice, asking for formation of a new bench to hear the case.
On November 10, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had formed a three-judge
bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice
Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel to hear NAB’s appeal against a Lahore High Court order to quash an
investigation into the Rs1.2 billion Hudabiya Paper Mills case.
The hearing in the case has been adjourned till date in office.