ISLAMABAD, June 20: Former law minister and PPP leader Dr Babar Awan filed with Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Monday an application seeking protection against a threat to his life in the aftermath of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah's remarks pronouncing him liable to be killed.

In his application, Mr Awan said the statement made outside the Punjab Assembly building had put his life in danger. He said the Punjab government had prepared a plan to eliminate him.

He said he had been informed by a former federal minister and prominent Baloch sardar that some outlaws at or near Fort Manro (bordering Punjab and Balochistan) had been contacted by some Punjab government officials through some gangsters and taken to Multan and asked to attack him between Gujranwala and Lahore.

The outlaws had been offered assistance of police and complete security cover to accomplish the task and escape, Mr Awan said, adding that they had been kept in illegal confinement and the deal finalised with them. He said the Baloch sardar was ready to narrate the facts before the court.

Mr Awan said he had been informed that the Shahbaz Sharif government was desperate to arrest him on any false charge or pretext and then facilitate an attack on his life either in jail, police station or district court's premises.

He requested the apex court to constitute a judicial commission to examine records and witnesses to enforce and protect his rights enshrined in Articles 4 and 9 of the Constitution.

He said that Sanaullah's statement amounted to passing an extra-judicial death sentence against him, particularly keeping in view the trends of extra-judicial killing by the Punjab police.