0
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will decide on Thursday whether to consider an apology tendered by former law minister Babar Awan or indict him for contempt of the court.
A bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed had fixed Wednesday to frame the contempt charge against Mr Awan for his media jibe against the judiciary after an SC order for an investigation by Tariq Khosa into the memo scandal.
On April 10, Mr Awan tendered an apology to the court, especially to Justice Asif Saeed Khosa against whom he had launched a tirade by openly attacking him for being brother of Tariq Khosa.
On Wednesday, Advocate Ali Zafar, representing Mr Awan, reminded the court that his client had already submitted an apology expressing repentance over his conduct.
Mr Awan was present in the court.
However, Justice Khan said the court would frame the charge against Mr Awan and then consider his apology.
The counsel said this would mean rejecting the apology outright, although contempt proceedings were usually dropped when a written apology was submitted.
The court observed that there were many instances when hearing of contempt cases had continued after an apology.
The bench postponed further proceedings till Thursday with an observation that it would decide either to indict Mr Awan or to accept the apology.
In his apology, Mr Awan has requested the court to discharge the contempt proceedings after accepting his regrets.
“Whatever he stated in the (press) conference regarding the judiciary was unintentional, based on inadvertence and the applicant is offering unconditionally his apology for his utterances that have found prima facie to be disrespectful by this bench,” the four-page statement said.
“That the applicant in particular apologises to Justice Asif Saeed Khosa whose acumen, integrity, impartiality and dedication to work, is beyond any doubt.”
He pleaded that apart from being a politician, senator and a worker of the PPP, the accused was also a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and it was his utmost duty, obligation and desire to uphold the dignity of the courts.
“The applicant has always been discharging his duty to the best of his ability and reiterates that the applicant has not only the highest regard and respect for the apex court of the country but also for all the judges of the superior judiciary,” he stated.
