Awan's counsel urges Pak SC to spare client as parents spare an 'errant child'

Islamabad, Feb 21 (ANI): Former Pakistan Law Minister Babar Awan's lawyer has urged the Supreme Court to overlook his client's media jibe as parents spare an act of an errant child.

"My client is accused of committing judicial contempt and in such proceedings the court is like a parent while the alleged contemnor is similar to an errant child," The Dawn quoted Advocate Ali Zafar, representing Awan before a bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Athar Saeed, as saying.

The court was hearing contempt charges against Babar for his comments on December 1 last year, soon after the apex court ordered an investigation into the memo case by a one-man commission headed by Tariq Khosa, a former director general of the Federal Investigation Agency.

The former minister and some members of the federal cabinet had severely criticised the order at a press conference and attacked the family of SC judge Asif Saeed Khosa who is the brother of Tariq Khosa.

On Monday, Awan submitted a written statement expressing regret over the content of the press conference and assured the court that there was no intention to ridicule the judiciary.

His counsel argued that judicial contempt should be used sparingly.

The court set March 1 as the next date of hearing with a direction to its office to arrange a display of the video clip of the press conference. (ANI)