ISLAMABAD: A man arrested in the judge video case has sought bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Faisal Shaheen is accused of recording the video of former accountability judge Mohammad Arshad Malik with PML-N activist Nasir Butt.

Mr Butt is also an accused in the case but he could not be tal(en into custody since he had flown abroad prior to the release of the video in which the judge confessed of convicting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference under duress on December 24, 2018.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz on July 6, 2019, released the video to the media at a press conference.

In the video, the judge said he had been pressured for convicting Mr Sharif. He also named certain people who allegedly pressured him on the basis of his objectionable video recorded in 2001 when he was serving as an additional district and sessions judge.

Following the disclosure, IHC conducted an inquiry and sought an affidavit from the judge.

The ex-accountability judge in his affidavit admitted the existence of his objectionable video. He claimed that initially he was offered bribes and threatened by PML-N representatives to issue verdicts in favour of Mr Sharif in the Al-Azizia and Flagship investments references and later coerced into resigning from his office. However, he said he refused to accept the bribes and give in to the alleged threats.

Accused Shaheen adopted in his petition that Mr Butt had concealed the facts from him that he was secretly meeting the judge. He said Mr Butt told him that he was going for a business meeting and wanted to record the event.

The accused also alleged discriminatory approach of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), saying PML-N leaders, including Maryam Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif and others, who released the video were neither arrested nor interrogated.

According to him, the principal accused in the case, who recorded the alleged objectionable video of the judge, had also been granted bail while he was behind bars since Oct 3, 2019.

The post-arrest bail cited ex-judge Malik and the FIA as respondents.