A two-member bench of the apex court will indict PPP vice president and former law minister Dr Babar Awan with contempt of court on March 20.
Awan will be indicted for addressing a press conference against an apex court injunction passed on December 1, 2011 over the formation of a judicial commission to probe the Memogate scandal.
The bench, comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed, had reserved the decision over a show-cause notice issued to Awan after hearing preliminary arguments on March 1.
After going through the facts and examining the video, we [believe] the matter should be proceeded with and the case is adjourned for March 20 to frame charges against Babar Awan, the bench’s order stated.
A large number of lawyers attended Thursday’s hearing to show solidarity with Awan.
Reacting to the verdict, the former law minister walked up to the rostrum and recited a Quranic verse, which translated as: “You [Allah] alone we worship, and unto You alone we turn for help.”
Once the verdict was announced, Awan’s supporters chanted slogans and plastered stickers on the Supreme Court building walls, which read: “Allah and [his] Prophet are witnesses that Babar Awan is innocent.”
At the last hearing, video footage of the press conference addressed by Awan and other PPP leaders was played in the courtroom. Ali Zafar, Awan’s counsel, had argued that in view of the footage, his client had not said anything which ridiculed the judiciary.
Freedom of speech could not be barred in the name of the freedom of judiciary, he had said. Zafar had added that his client, in his statement, had reconfirmed that he has utmost respect and regard for Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and considered him to be a luminary.
In case any hurt is felt by Justice Khosa, Awan had expressed his personal pain and deepest regrets, the counsel had said. Justice Khan had observed that Awan had only expressed regret but not tendered an apology for his remarks.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2012.
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@rafiq: He is in fact a very poor lawyer and possesses poor advocacy skills - an embarrassment to the Pakistan legal profession.
one way justice.............................!!!!!
It is just the revenge,one who forgives is great,We will loose a learned scholar and Lawyer.
Anyone who wishes the system to work as it's designed to then one must regularly examine it and scrutinize its workings and no one should feel offended---Supreme Court or any other office is manned by humans and humans do err and are susceptible to human weaknesses and corruption and temptations. Babar Awan as a citizen has every right to talk about any court decision and in any fashion he cares, after all he never called anyone a sob or anything such relationships----I also don't. What i think about this whole vindictive theatre is another matter.
I love how Islam and the Quran are drawn in immediately in an attempt to improve and/or solidify one's position. If Awan so believed in the verse he recited, why show up in the court at all? Why bring a lawyer? If Allah is all he believes in and the only one he turns to for help, why care for these affairs of men? Laughable stuff.
We wait for the day when Babar Awan is punished for his frequent assaults on the integrity of the court.
A step in the right direction. Nobody is above the law & Babar Awan must pay for what he did. It was for everyone to see how this former Law Minister rediculed the higher judiciary in front of TV cameras.
If this loud mouth is not punished on the Contempt of Court then "Allah help the Judiciary". I can't understand the delay & the hesitation of the Courts. What are they afraid of ? Asma Jehangir.
Now surely no one will object to this.
His practicing lisence must be canceled forever!
Revenge, ego and politics has taken over dispensation justice
I do,nt know why our courts are giving so much time to such culprits.They must be punished ASAP.Justice delayed ; justice denied.Look how difficult was the case of spot fixing and how quickly it was resolve.Our courts must set some example and follow others foot prints.