Violation of court orders: Butt challenges contempt proceedings

Claims there is no proof of him interfering in CDA’s affairs.

ISLAMABAD:

Challenging the contempt proceedings against him, former chairman Prime Minister Task Force on Islamabad Faisal Sakhi Butt on Wednesday filed an intra-court appeal (ICA) in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

On July 18, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC had issued a show cause notice to Butt for violating court orders and asked him to explain his interference in the affairs of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Earlier on May 14, the court, while hearing a land allotment case, had barred Butt from entering the CDA office and had directed the civic body’s officials not to interact with him in their official capacities. Subsequently, the court had suspended Butt’s notification as the task force chairman.

However, challenging court orders, Butt filed an ICA, saying that there is no proof showing his interference in CDA’s affairs.

During the course of hearing on Thursday, Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi of the IHC also served notices to the respondents-- Capital Development Authority Chairman Farkhand Iqbal and Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Syed Shahid Akbar-- seeking their reply next week.

Butt’s counsel, Advocate Dr A Basit, said his client was not even a party in the land allotment case, adding that the “cursory perusal of the interim order portrays the prejudice in the mind of the judge”.

The counsel also said that his client had filed a reference against Justice Siddiqui before the Supreme Judicial Council.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2012.