Contempt of court: PIDA managing director fined

PIDA failed to comply with court order involving contractual employees.

LAHORE:

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday fined the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA) managing director Rs50,000 for not filing a reply in a contempt of court petition.

Muhammad Nadir Khan and 10 other officials of the PIDA had filed the petition. They sought contempt of court proceedings against PIDA MD Zahid Saeed and two former MDs for not allowing them to join despite court orders.

Counsel for the petitioners, Advocate Tipu Salman Makhdoon, submitted that his clients, who were contract employees at the PIDA, had filed a petition for the regularisation of their services in 2012. On December 28, 2012, the court issued a notice to the PIDA and told the petitioners to continue their service.

Makhdoom submitted that when the petitioners approached the PIDA MD, he did not allow them to mark their attendance. He said his clients had not received their salaries since January 2013.

He said they had filed various applications with the respondent, but in vain.

He said the respondents had violated the court’s order. Makhdoom prayed the court to issue directions for initiation of contempt of court proceedings under Article-204 of the Constitution read with Section-3/5 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003.

The court adjourned the hearing till June 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2013.