Contempt of court: Arrest warrants for city’s top manager, two others issued
The petitioner’s counsel contended that the CDA had failed to implement court order.
ISLAMABAD:
A judge on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for the city’s top civic manager and two other officials for defying court orders in a land compensation case.
Justice Noorul Qureshi of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued bailable warrants for Capital Development Authority Chairman Farkhand Iqbal, Land Director Captain (retd) Fariduddin Mustafa and Deputy Commissioner (DC), Revenue, Najeeb Aslam, for failing to act on the IHC’s 2009 order.
The judge on a contempt of court application, filed by Asad Abbas Kazmi through his counsel Raja Inam Minhas, directed the respondents to submit bonds of Rs20,000 and explain why they failed to implement the court order and adjourned the hearing till the last week of June.
Kazmi, whose land was appropriated by the CDA in D-13, had sought criminal proceedings against officials for failing to pay compensation in defiance of court order.
Justice Munir Paracha in 2009 had directed the respondents to compensate the affected people of Sector D-13 within 14 days.
During the course of hearing, Minhas said CDA Chief Legal Adviser Barrister Masroor Shah had assured the court that the land director of the civic agency would appear before the IHC on May 29 to explain the issue of land possession with regard to the implementation of the court order. He maintained that the respondents had defied IHC’s order and failed to appear before the court on Tuesday.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Minhas said that CDA had acquired land in Sectors D-13 and D-14 in 2008 and promised to compensate owners. However, the CDA did not offer any form of compensation, forcing the people to move the court. Repeated attempts were made to contact CDA chairman for his comments, but he was not available.
This is the second time that the IHC has issued arrest warrants for CDA chairman and other officials. Earlier, on May 10, the court had issued the warrants in response to a contempt application filed by a resident seeking criminal proceedings against top officials for defying court order.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2012.
A judge on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for the city’s top civic manager and two other officials for defying court orders in a land compensation case.
Justice Noorul Qureshi of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued bailable warrants for Capital Development Authority Chairman Farkhand Iqbal, Land Director Captain (retd) Fariduddin Mustafa and Deputy Commissioner (DC), Revenue, Najeeb Aslam, for failing to act on the IHC’s 2009 order.
The judge on a contempt of court application, filed by Asad Abbas Kazmi through his counsel Raja Inam Minhas, directed the respondents to submit bonds of Rs20,000 and explain why they failed to implement the court order and adjourned the hearing till the last week of June.
Kazmi, whose land was appropriated by the CDA in D-13, had sought criminal proceedings against officials for failing to pay compensation in defiance of court order.
Justice Munir Paracha in 2009 had directed the respondents to compensate the affected people of Sector D-13 within 14 days.
During the course of hearing, Minhas said CDA Chief Legal Adviser Barrister Masroor Shah had assured the court that the land director of the civic agency would appear before the IHC on May 29 to explain the issue of land possession with regard to the implementation of the court order. He maintained that the respondents had defied IHC’s order and failed to appear before the court on Tuesday.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Minhas said that CDA had acquired land in Sectors D-13 and D-14 in 2008 and promised to compensate owners. However, the CDA did not offer any form of compensation, forcing the people to move the court. Repeated attempts were made to contact CDA chairman for his comments, but he was not available.
This is the second time that the IHC has issued arrest warrants for CDA chairman and other officials. Earlier, on May 10, the court had issued the warrants in response to a contempt application filed by a resident seeking criminal proceedings against top officials for defying court order.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2012.