August 31, 2007	Friday	Sha’aban 17, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan has sought from the Supreme Court six to eight weeks to answer the contempt of court charge.

The apex court had served a contempt of the court notice on Dr Afgan last Friday for his outburst against its decision of allowing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif to return to the country.

The minister had been asked to reply in two weeks why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him.

“Since I will defend myself in person and being a non-law-knowing person and a legislator, I need at least six to eight weeks for submission of my reply to the show-cause notice,” says a two-page application filed by the minister before the Supreme Court here on Thursday.

Referring to the court notice, issued from the office of Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who will also act as prosecutor, informing him that his case would be taken up on Sept 5, the minister contended that he had failed to understand how the words ‘original jurisdiction’ had been changed to ‘appellate jurisdiction’ in the notice.