'Contempt of court': notices issued to Awan, Firdaus, Khurshid, others

The Supreme Court (SC) has issued show cause notices to five PPP leaders for reportedly ridiculing the SC's December 1, 2011 order in 'Memogate' scandal at a press conference held at Press Information Department.
Issuing show cause notices to Babar Awan, Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and advisor to Prime Minister Farooq Awan, the SC asked them to furnish their replies by January 13, explaining why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for committing contempt of court by ridiculing a court order in the memo case.
A two-member bench of Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed noted on Wednesday that sufficient material was available on record which had warranted the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against those who arranged and addressed the press conference against the judicial order.
The court insisted that the Attorney General for Pakistan Maulvi Anwarul, who appeared on notice, had identified PPP leaders those who were present there and organised that press conference at PID. The AGP, however, apprised the bench that he had already submitted the Prime Minister's response on the matter.
In his response, the Premier had submitted that whatever said at that press conference was strictly a PPP stance. During the course of proceedings, the AGP read out PM's reply which was submitted before the bench on December 26 in which he stated that whatever was stated at that press conference was the stance of PPP and that the government could not even think about ridiculing the court. The court had rejected as being unsatisfactory the first reply of the prime minister. Later, another reply was submitted by the PM through AGP.
"Isn't it [the remarks made at the press conference] challenging the independence, neutrality and impartiality of the court?" Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed asked the AGP. On the court order, the AGP also read out the contents of that press conference, in which derogatory remarks were made against the judiciary.
The bench noted that several remarks in that press conference attracted contempt of the court proceedings. Justice Ather Saeed observed that the order of the court was criticised "contemptuously." He said the government functionaries ridiculed the judiciary in flagrant violation of the dignity of the court. Speaking at a press conference on December 1, Babar Awan along with Khurshid Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Farooq Awan reportedly criticised the Supreme Court.