ISLAMABAD: A bench of the Supreme Court has indicted former Law Minister Babar Awan on contempt of court charges. However, Awan has pleaded not guilty, refusing charges framed against him, DawnNews reported.

A two-member bench of the court, comprising of Justice Aijaz Afzal and Justice Athar Saeed, was hearing the case here on Thursday. The bench said that the former minister had committed contempt by uttering remarks ridiculing the apex court and a sitting judge.

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 intiated 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.

Earlier during the day’s proceedings, Attorney General Irfan Qadir informed the court of his view that there was no law present in the constitution regarding contempt of court, arguing that he could not, therefore, act as the prosecutor in the case.

The bench subsequently adjourned the hearing until May 29, ordering the Attorney General to submit all documentary evidence and list of witnesses against Awan by May 26.

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.