Babar Awan stripped of all posts in PPP

Awan is no longer the secretary finance of the party, nor the senior vice-president of the party.

ISLAMABAD: Former law minister Babar Awan has been stripped of all posts held by him in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Express News correspondent Waqar Satti reported that Awan is no longer the secretary finance of the party, nor the senior vice-president.

After losing his posts, Awan will also not be a part of any of the party’s Central Executive Committee meetings.

Babar Awan has drawn the ire of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership ever since his refusal to appear before the Supreme Court to testify in the contempt of court hearing against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

Aitzaz Ahsan, Gilani’s lawyer, had asked the court to summon three key witnesses in the case – including Awan and two high-ranking bureaucrats. However, Awan was reported to have promptly refused to appear – despite many saying that his testimony would have made the prime minister’s case stronger.

President Asif Ali Zardari, while on a private visit to India, had reject Awan’s request to meet him and had directed the security to not let him come and meet him.

Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa had also recently lashed out at Babar Awan, likening him and former Law secretary Masood Chishti to Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq.

Chishti, who had been handpicked by former Law minister Awan, had been replaced with Irfan Qadir.

No reason for the change had been given, but it had been speculated that it carried a veiled message for Awan, who had refused to appear before the bench hearing contempt charges against Gilani.