SC indicts Babar Awan for contempt

After having been completely sidelined by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership for not appearing before the Supreme Court (SC) to testify in the contempt of court hearing against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, former law minister Senator Babar Awan was indicted by the Supreme Court on charges of contempt of court.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Athar Saeed and Justice Ejaz Afzal heard the proceedings of the contempt case on Thursday.
While indicting the former law minister, the bench said that Awan had passed humiliating comments and insulted the court in a press conference on December 1 at the Islamabad Press Information Department. Awan, while refusing to accept the court’s judgment, said that he had not committed contempt, and that no law on contempt of court existed in the country.
In his statement, Awan said that his press conference was not against the apex court, but was targeted against the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). He said that he had spoken against the PML-N as a central member of the PPP, adding that the press conference was addressed by 5 individuals, but the court was taking action only against him. “I am regretful over the comments I made during the press conference and I had already apologised unconditionally for my remarks, as I respect the courts from the core of my heart,” Awan stated.
He said the government of Pakistan had already clarified that the press conference was of political nature, adding that he had not been told so far whether he was being prosecuted on civil or criminal basis. Awan said the objection was already at hand, asking why the contempt proceedings against him were being carried out in two different courts. He said the attorney general (AG) had stated in a written reply that no law on contempt of court existed in the country, and asked the AG to provide legal assistance to the court.
The AG told the court that there was no law on contempt of court in the country. In response, Justice Ejaz Afzal said that Article 204 of the constitution was about the contempt of court.
The SC ordered the attorney general to present evidence against Awan until May 26, and adjourned the hearing until May 29. The former law minister was charged with contempt of court after he criticised an apex court verdict handed down on December 1, 2011, pertaining to the formation of a judicial commission to probe the Memo scandal.