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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court decided on Thursday to frame contempt charge against former law minister Babar Awan for his media jibe at the judiciary.
Mr Awan and some federal ministers launched a tirade against the apex court at a press conference on Dec 1, 2011, soon after it had ordered an inquiry into the memo scandal by Tariq Khosa and attacked the family of a sitting SC judge for being brother of Mr Khosa.
On March 1, a bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed reserved its judgment whether to discharge contempt notice or to frame charge against Mr Awan.
“After going though the documentary record and video recording of the press conference, prime facie a case of contempt has been made out against Babar Awan, former law minister and PPP Vice-President, for addressing a press conference at the Press Information Department (PID),” the court said in its order.
Proper contempt proceedings would commence on March 20, it added.
Advocate Ali Zafar, the counsel for Mr Awan, had argued at the last hearing that the dignity of an institution did not rest on punishment.
Courts, he said, should always take a lenient view if a person appeared and tendered an apology.
The former law minister had submitted a written statement expressing regrets over the contents of the press conference and assuring the court that there was no intention or malice to ridicule the judiciary.
It also said that he had the highest respect, honour and regard for the judiciary, and since the bar and bench were part of one chariot, defamation of one would cause a loss to the other.
“If in case there was an impression that he (Mr 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 malice at all,” the statement said.
