The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a case frame against former law minister Babar Awan. A bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed was apprised by Babar Awan that his counsel Ali Zafar could not turn up as he was attending a meeting of a lawyers' delegation at Lahore, from where he would be leaving for India on a weak-long trip.
He requested the bench to grant him some more time because of his counsel's absence. The court accepted his request and put off further hearing by April 2. Now the contempt charge against him will be framed on April 2. On last hearing, Ali Zafar, counsel for Babar Awan, had argued that the dignity of an institution did not rest on punishment, adding that the courts should always take a lenient view if a person appeared before it and tendered an apology.
The former law minister had submitted a written statement expressing regrets over the contents of the press conference. In his written statement, he had also stated that he had the highest respect, honour and regard for the judiciary, and since the bar and bench were part of one chariot, defamation of one would cause a loss to the other.
"If in case there was an impression that he [Mr Awan] in any manner was disrespectful to the judiciary, then being a senior advocate of the apex court he unreservedly and emphatically submits his regrets and assures the court that there was absolutely neither any intention nor malice at all," he stated in his statement.
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