ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday submitted another unconditional apology to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for her contemptuous press conference. The court, however, directed her to file a written reply to the show cause notice issued to her.

The IHC on Oct 30 issued the contempt notice to Dr Awan under Section 3 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, saying that she had maligned the court while claiming that the hearing of a petition seeking release of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday evening was “a special dispensation”.

The court, however, discharged the notice after she tendered an unconditional apology on Nov 1. However, Ms Awan was issued another notice for committing criminal contempt and directed to submit a written reply to the notice by Nov 5.

Court directs her to file written reply to show cause notice

When the PM’s special assistant appeared before the IHC, Chief Justice Athar Minallah inquired about her written reply. She said she was tendering an unconditional apology and leaving herself at the mercy of the court.

The chief justice remarked that ministers passed statements to pressurise judges and that the government itself had given an impression as if a deal had been struck. If a deal had been done, then who was behind that deal, he asked.

He observed that the courts gave judgements in accordance with the law and the principles of fair trial, and not under any deal.

Chief Justice Minallah reminded Dr Awan that during the 2014 sit-in by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the IHC had entertained its petition even on a Sunday and restrained the government from taking any unlawful action against the protesters.

At this, Dr Awan said that she joined the PTI after the 2014 sit-in.

PTI petitions

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Minallah disposed of petitions filed by the central leadership of the PTI, including President Dr Arif Alvi, for being infructuous as there was no threat to PTI politicians from the district administration.

These petitions were filed in 2014 by Dr Alvi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umar, Shafqat Mehmood and activists of the PTI on the eve their protest/sit-in in the federal capital as the district administration of Islamabad had imposed Section 144 in the city.

One of these petitions was heard even on a Sunday by the IHC and the court had refrained the police from arresting/harassing leaders and workers of the PTI. The court granted interim relief to all the petitioners, including Dr Alvi, Mr Qureshi, Mr Tareen, Mr Umar and Mr Mehmood. These petitions had been pending since then and were heard on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2019