ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday took notice of allegations levelled by former chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Muhammad Shamim against the country's former top judge Justice Saqib Nisar.

In a notarized affidavit, the former Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Court chief Justice Rana M Shamim stated that he was a witness to the then CJP Saqib Nisar's directions to a high court judge not to release imprisoned Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail before the 2018 general elections, reported The News.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah held an urgent hearing on the issue and summoned Justice Shamim, the investigative journalist Ansar Abbasi, who did the story, as well as his publication's editor for a hearing on Tuesday.

Justice Nisar has since refuted the allegation while accusing Rana Shamim for seeking an extension in his role as G-B chief justice. He said that had refused to grant the extension, which led to a grievance while telling a local publicaiton that the former G-B justice could have "any motivation" for making the claim while dismissing them as "absolutely untrue".

Meanwhile, Rana Shamim has rejected Justice Nisar's counter allegations.

Talking to Geo News, Shamim said that he would stand by every word in his affidavit. He added that he had neither asked for extension in his term nor does the chief justice of Pakistan have the authority to grant it.

He said that it is the prerogative of the prime minister to give an extension to the chief justice in the Supreme Court of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.