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Summary The LHC has commenced unilateral proceeding against Senator Babar Awan in contempt of court case.
Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan conducted hearing of contempt of court case against Babar Awan who did not appear in the court despite judicial advertisement.While keeping in view that current situation, the court had commenced unilateral proceeding against outspoken senator Babar Awan and put off the hearing till October 28.Awan is facing the contempt charge for his media jibe against the judiciary. He had severely criticised the apex court at a press conference on Dec 1 last year soon after it had ordered an inquiry into the memo scandal by Tariq Khosa, a former director general of the Federal Investigation Agency, and attacked a sitting SC judge for being a brother of Mr Khosa.Pleading not guilty to the charges on Thursday, Awan raised legal and constitutional questions on the court’s proceedings.“I was not the only politician present at the press conference,” said Awan, complaining that the court had only initiated contempt proceedings against him.Moreover, the former minister pressed the court to also initiate proceedings against Qamar Zaman Kaira, Syed Khursheed Shah and his brother Farooq Awan, who were also present at the press conference.Awan offered an unconditional apology to the SC earlier this month, requesting the court to withdraw its decision of suspending his licence.On April 10, he formerly tendered another apology, especially to Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, brother of Tariq Khosa, for his utterances against the judiciary. Awan said in the application that whatever he had stated at the press conference was unintentional and inadvertent and that he was offering an unconditional apology once again.
