ISLAMABAD, May 10: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the advocate-general of Punjab to submit a progress report by Wednesday in a criminal case registered against advisor to the prime minister on women development Nilofer Bakhtiar for committing contempt of court in 1995.

"We cannot give a free hand to people who have not learned any lesson from history. They had raised slogans in the high court in the past and can repeat the same now in the Supreme Court," Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry observed while leading a bench, comprising Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday and Justice Falak Sher. The bench was hearing a case for acquittal of Nilofer Bakhtiar from contempt charges.

A criminal case was registered against the advisor at the airport police station, Rawalpindi, on a complaint filed by the additional registrar, Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court in 1995 for unruly behaviour inside a high court courtroom.

Nilofer Bakhtiar, along with 10 other women and three men, were accused of shouting and raising slogans inside the courtroom when the high court bench, comprising Justice Raja Abdul Latif Bhatti and Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry, had dismissed bail petition of Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in a now famous Klashnikov case on Nov 22, 1995.

Taking exception, the high court initiated a contempt proceedings against Nilofer Bakhtiar and directed the administration to arrest and produce her along with other PML workers before the court. The high court later sent the accused along with other accomplice to the Multan jail for a six-month term in this connection.

Ms Bakhtiar later challenged the sentence before the Supreme Court which though granted her bail but kept pending her petition for acquittal from the charges of contempt.

During the course of hearing on Monday, SC judge, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry inquired about the progress in the case registered against her on which he was told that the case was still pending before a court of Magistrate.

At this the bench summoned Advocate General Punjab Mr Shabbar Raza Rizvi and directed him to produce the progress in case before SC by Wednesday. Advocate Mohammad Akram Sheikh represented Nilofer Bakhtiar in the case.