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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court reserved on Thursday its decision on a contempt case against former law minister Babar Awan for his media jibe at the judiciary.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed had taken up the contempt charges against Mr Awan for his utterances on Dec 1 last year soon after the apex court had ordered an investigation into the memo case by a one-man commission headed by Tariq Khosa, a former director general of the Federal Investigation Agency.
At a press conference, the former law minister and some members of the federal cabinet severely criticised the order and hit out at the family of SC judge Asif Saeed Khosa who is a brother of Tariq Khosa.
The court reserved the judgment after watching video clip of the press conference in the courtroom.
“A line of distinction must be drawn between the ordinary persons, politicians and senior lawyers like him (Mr Awan). We feel there is an element of scorn and sarcasm (in the press conference),” the bench observed after watching the video clip.
Advocate Ali Zafar, representing Babar Awan, argued that the dignity of an institution did not rest in the punishment and the court should always take a lenient view if a person appeared before it and tendered apology.
At the last hearing on Feb 20, the former law minister had submitted a written statement expressing regrets over the contents of the press conference and saying there was no intention or malice to ridicule the judiciary.
“If in case there was an impression that he (Babar Awan) in any manner was disrespectful to the judiciary, then being a senior advocate of the court he unreservedly and emphatically submits his regrets and assures the court that there was absolutely neither any intention nor menace at all,” the statement said.
