SC defers contempt case indictment of Babar till May 10

The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the framing of contempt of court charges against former Law minister Senator Babar Awan till May 10.
The decision was taken after the court accepted the request of Ali Zafar, the counsel of the accused.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed put off the hearing after the barrister said he should be given an opportunity to challenge the reasons before the charges were framed.
The bench had resumed the hearing of a suo motu notice taken on Babar Awan’s address at a press conference held in the Press Information Department on December 2nd.
On April 24th, the bench had announced it had reserved judgment over framing the contempt charges by saying that it could not drop the proceedings at that stage and announced that the senator will be indicted on April 26th.
Barrister Zafar had contended that his client had tendered a written apology which must be considered and the proceedings for framing the contempt of court charges should be dropped. He argued that throughout the judicial history of the country, it was observed that contempt proceedings were dropped after an apology was issued. He said there was no judgment over the continuation of contempt under such circumstances and that the court was bound to give detailed reasons in its order.