ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Monday suspended Faisal Raza Abidi from party’s core committee after issuing a show-cause notice over his Sunday press conference during which the firebrand senator had lashed out at the judiciary and at Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, DawnNews reported.

Abidi is not only barred from entering the Presidency in Islamabad but he has also been asked to resign from the post of president PPP Karachi chapter.

Earlier, after taking notice of the press conference, the Supreme Court also summoned a record of it.

During the press conference, Senator Abidi had distributed copies of the bank statements of a company, ‘F&A Enterprises’, allegedly owned by Arsalan Iftikhar, son of the chief justice, carrying the address of his official residence.

The senator had also criticised the Supreme Court for nullifying the recently-passed contempt of court law and termed it part of a plan to pitch two state institutions against each other.

The show-cause notice was issued to Senator Abidi by PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar.

The notice directs Senator Abidi to explain his press briefing of Aug 5 in which he had said that while contempt cases against a number of people, including PPP leaders Babar Awan, Sharjeel Memon and Taj Haider, were pending the court had hurriedly convicted a prime minister and sent him home.

Speaking to DawnNews, Senator Abidi acknowledged having received the notice and said he would respond to it soon.

He said he stood by his stance on the matter and was proud of what he had done.