IHC orders fixing contempt petition against Faisal Vawda

Petitioner’s counsel says disqualification case against federal minister is crystal clear

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed to fix the contempt plea along with the main petition of disqualification case against Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda.

The IHC single bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq heard the contempt of court petition.

As the proceedings started, the petitioner’s counsel Barrister Jahangir Jadoon said that the disqualification case against Vawda was crystal clear.

He said the federal minister did not want to submit his reply which was tantamount to contempt of court.

Barrister Jadoon stated that the court on January 29 had ordered Vawda to submit reply within two weeks in the disqualification case.

“It has been five months. He [Vawda] has not submitted his reply. This is the violation of court order. He should be summoned to the court in personal capacity,” he said.

The judge remarked that the disqualification case against Vawda had already been fixed for hearing, while the court would see the contempt matter with it.

Barrister Jadoon urged the court to ask Vawda to submit reply to which the judge replied that an appropriate order would be issued in this regard.

Vawda has been accused of concealing his dual nationality at the time of filing his nomination papers during the 2018 general election.

The disqualification petition stated that Vawda had submitted his nomination papers on June 11, which were accepted by the returning officer on June 18, while the federal minister had filed his application for renunciation of US citizenship on June 22.

It said that Vawda was a US citizen at the time of submission of nomination papers which he did not disclose.