Evidence collected in contempt case: AGP

KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: Commenting on the details of witnesses and documentary evidence in Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's contempt case, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq has said that witness is not usually required when the case is of a civil nature.

The Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq told Business Recorder on Wednesday that all the documentary evidence in the case had been collected which would be submitted to the court on Feb 16 (today).

A seven-member bench of the apex court framed contempt charges against Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Feb 13 over non-implementation of the judgment on NRO and adjourned the hearing till Feb 22, asking the AGP to submit a comprehensive reply.

Haq maintained that such an order was not applicable in the civil nature of contempt but meant for criminal contempt of court. He further explained that "under Order 27 Rule 7 of Supreme Court Rules 1980 the law comes into action when the Court or Judges are ridiculed or proceedings are blocked intentionally."

The AGP said he would apprise the bench on the next date of hearing that he was not bound to play the role of the prosecutor on bench's verbal orders as he was simply asked to assist the court.

Meanwhile, the AGP said although he would present his viewpoint to the bench that such an order was not applicable in cases of civil nature of contempt of court, he was bound to obey the court's order.

It is learnt that the copies of more than 20 court orders on NRO case including implementation process, have been collected as evidence in the case by his (AGP) office.

Another order of the SC on April 1, 2010 in the NRO case was also collected in which the then AGP, Anwar Mansoor Khan, told a seven-member bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that he tried his level best to access the record of the case lying with Ministry of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs but the then Federal Law Minister Babar Awan, denied him access.