October 29 statement ‘not focused’ on bail order for Nawaz, Firdous tells IHC

SAPM says she never intended to say court extended special dispensation to former PM

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, while tendering an apology to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), has said her press briefing in the wake of grant of bail to former premier Nawaz Sharif was “not specifically focused” on the IHC bail judgment.

On October 29, Dr Firdous addressed a press conference after the IHC granted 8-week interim bail to Nawaz in view of a medical board’s reports, and said she wished the courts “also provided relief to the common man as well.”

Taking notice of the press talk, the IHC on October 30 issued her a show-cause which was followed by another notice on November 1.

The IHC noted that the SAPM needed to convince the court why she should not be convicted for criminal contempt under Section 5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003 and gave her three days to submit the written explanation.

Firdous Ashiq Awan gets another contempt notice from IHC

The notice said Dr Firdous “attempted to give an impression” that the IHC had extended “special dispensation” to the former premier. It also observed that her October 29 statement “amounts to prejudicing the pending proceedings” on Nawaz’s main appeal against is December 2018 conviction.

“By doing so, you prima-facie made an attempt to influence proceedings of a pending appeal and acted with intent to thwart the course of justice and thereby committed criminal contempt.”

The PM’s aide, in her apology formally submitted on Monday, maintained that she holds the court in “highest esteem” and that in her press conference she did not “at all intended to prejudice the pendency of proceedings before the court which may affect the right of a fair trial of a litigant.”

She argued that the press conference was “not specifically focused” on the medical bail judgment and the comment was ‘issued’ in response to a targeted question by a journalist. The remarks, she continued, were not to undermine authority of the bench.

“The statement,” she said, “was never intended to give the impression that the court extended special dispensation to Nawaz.” Dr Firdous reiterated her stance that she “cannot even think to do anything which may cause any inconvenience or lend to commit contempt”.

Dr Firdous submitted the reply to the IHC’s show cause notice through Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi.