CDA member faces contempt charges

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday initiated contempt of court proceedings against Capital Development Authority (CDA) Member Estate Zaman Wattoo for failing to appear before the court on the pretext of illness, directing him to submit a written response within seven days. The court also rejected his request for an unconditional apology.

Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar heard the contempt case against Wattoo, who appeared before the court alongside his counsel, CDA lawyer Nazir Jawad.

During the hearing, the chief justice observed that the contempt case would be dealt with first, while the main petition would be taken up later. He directed the prosecutor to appear fully prepared at the next hearing.

Referring to the previous hearing, the chief justice said the court had recorded in its order that Wattoo had appeared before another court but had failed to attend the IHC proceedings.

Nazir Jawad disputed the interpretation, saying Wattoo had not claimed that he was ill. The chief justice questioned whether the court's order was incorrect, reiterating that it clearly stated that the CDA official had appeared before another court but not before the IHC.