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ISLAMABAD: After being completely sidelined by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership for not appearing before the Supreme Court (SC) to testify in the contempt of court hearing against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, former Law Minister Senator Babar Awan was indicted by the Supreme Court on charges of contempt of court case.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Athar Saeed and Justice Ejaz Afzal heard the proceedings of the contempt of court case on Thursday.

While indicting Babar Awan, the bench of the apex court said Babar Awan has passed humiliating comments and insulted the court in a press conference on December 1 at Press Information Department Islamabad.

While Babar Awan has refused to accept the judgment of the court and said he has not made contempt of court and no law of contempt of court case exists in the country.

In an answer, he said his press conference was not against the apex court rather against the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) added that he spoke against PML-N in a press conference as a central member of the PPP and made an objection that press conference was held by 5 personalities but the court is taking actions against him that is not impartial behavior.

“I am regretful over the comments I made during a press conference and I had already apologized unconditionally for my remarks as I respect the courts from the core of my heart,” Babar Awan stated.

He said government of Pakistan has clarified already that the press conference was of political nature adding that he has not been told so far that whether he is being prosecuted on civil or criminal basis.

Babar Awan said the objection is already at hand why the contempt of court case against him is being carried out in two different courts adding that Attorney General has stated in a written reply that no law of contempt of court case exists in the country and asked Attorney General to provide legal assistance to the court.

The Attorney General told the court that there is no law of contempt of court in the country and on which grounds court could hear the case.

Justice Ejaz Afzal said Article 204 of the constitution is about contempt of court. The SC directed the Attorney General to present evidences against Senator Babar Awan till May 26 and adjourned the hearing till May 29.

The former Law Minister was charged with contempt of court after he criticized an apex court verdict handed down on December 1, 2011, pertaining to the formation of a judicial commission to probe the Memogate scandal.

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