AMID an impression that former chief justice Saqib Nisar will be held accountable over his alleged links with the events of May 9, the former CJP on Tuesday said that he would return to Pakistan next month and was ready to face the “propaganda” being unleashed against him.

Reporting on her conversation with the former chief justice, Aaj News anchorperson Munizae Jahangir quoted the ex-CJP as saying that he would return to Pakistan on September 6 or 7.

The former top judge also played down his relationship with incarcerated ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed, saying the latter was “very respectable” towards him and they enjoyed cordial ties.

In response to a question about any meetings with Gen Faiz following his retirement from the judiciary, the ex-CJP said he had visited the former general in 2022 when he was in Swat for vacations and Gen Faiz, who was the Peshawar corps commander at the time, invited him to Peshawar for lunch along with his family.

The ex-CJP lamented that he was being subjected to a “media trial” and if there were any allegations against him, he should be charge-sheeted so he could contest them.

A day earlier, The News had quoted the former chief justice as saying he had nothing to do with Gen Hameed, PTI or the May 9 violence.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2024