Mocking press conference: PPP’s top cadre served contempt notices

Those served include Babar Awan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Khurshid Shah, Kaira.

ISLAMABAD: Taking action against the ‘contemptuous’ press conference which categorically rejected a Supreme Court decision in the Memogate case, the apex court on Wednesday issued contempt of court notices to Babar Awan and four other Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders, including two sitting ministers.

The apex court issued show-cause notices to Awan, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan and Adviser to Prime Minister Farooq Awan for addressing the controversial press conference — demanding their replies by January 13. Their replies are expected to explain why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them after “ridiculing” the court’s decision in the memo case.

Earlier, Awan had addressed a press conference at the Press Information Department on December 1, 2011 following the apex court’s decision to form a one-man commission headed by former Federal Investigation Agency Director General Tariq Khosa to probe the case — rejecting its decision and questioning its motives.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed noted that sufficient on-record material was available which warranted initiation of contempt of court proceedings against those who arranged and addressed the press conference against the apex court’s judicial order.

The court demanded Attorney General (AG) Maulvi Anwarul Haq to reveal who were the PPP leaders representing and who had managed the press conference — the government or the party. The AG, however, replied that he had already submitted the prime minister’s reply that the press conference was the stance of the PPP alone.

The AG then read out Yousaf Raza Gilani’s reply submitted before the court on December 26 which stated that the content of the press conference was the party’s stance and the government could not even “think” about ridiculing the apex court’s decision.

The court had rejected the prime minister’s first reply as “unsatisfactory” and another reply was submitted by Gilani later. “Was challenging the independence, neutrality and impartiality of the court not contempt of court?” Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed asked the AG.

Following court orders, the AG also read out contents of the press conference which had “derogatory” remarks against the judiciary. Meanwhile, Justice Ather Saeed observed that the press conference “contemptuously” criticised the order of the court. He said government functionaries had “ridiculed the judiciary in flagrant violation of the dignity of the court”.

On December 30, while delivering a verdict on the maintainability of memo case petitions, the chief justice had termed the press conference “contemptuous” and called for its transcript in his chamber.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference on December 1, Awan along with Shah, Kaira, Awan and Farooq had criticised the Supreme Court saying that by ordering the probe into the memo issue, it had denied the right of a bipartisan and bicameral parliamentary committee on national security to hold an inquiry into the scandal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2012.