Pak SC issues notices to four PPP leaders

A two-judge bench issued the notices to Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan, Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Shah and former ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira and Babar Awan in connection with the remarks they had made at a news conference on December 1. After the apex court issued an interim order for a probe into the memo issue, the four PPP leaders addressed a news conference at which they questioned and criticised the ruling. Babar Awan was particularly critical of the verdict.

The apex court subsequently sought an explanation from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who said in a statement submitted in court that his government had not shown any disrespect to the judiciary. The apex court was not satisfied with this explanation and Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry asked the two-judge bench to look into the matter.

During today`s proceedings, the bench heard arguments by Attorney General Anwar-ul-Haq, who again said the PPP leaders had not intended to malign the judiciary.

The apex court recently formed a commission to investigate the issue of the secret memo that had sought American help to stave off a possible military coup in Pakistan after the killing of Osama bin Laden in May.