LAHORE, Oct 5: The Lahore High Court on Friday started ex parte (one-sided) proceedings against PPP Senator Babar Awan on a petition seeking his disqualification on different grounds.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan had been hearing the petition moved by a lawyer, Afaq Ahmad.

The judge issued several notices to Awan, but he did not turn up nor his counsel made any representation in the case. The court had also ordered to issue his summons through newspaper but he remained unresponsive.

Justice Khan on Friday decided to proceed against the respondent ex parte and adjourned hearing till Oct 28.

Advocate Ahmad submitted Awan had been frequently found criticising the superior judiciary during press conferences and media talks. He said everybody knew that Awan had distributed sweets when ZA Bhutto was executed. He said later Awan joined the PPP and took a U-turn by terming the conviction of Bhutto a judicial murder. He contended the former law minister not only criticised the SC proceedings about memo scandal, but also tried to establish a secret relation of the court with a political party.

He prayed to the court to restrain Awan from issuing any statement on sub judice matters and disqualify him after initiating contempt of court proceedings.