Defying court order: Warrant issued for OGDCL chief

The court is irked by the absence of Riaz Khan, who was to submit a report.

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued bailable arrest warrants for Oil and Gas Development Company Limited’s (OGDCL) managing director for defying court order.

Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi issued the order after the state-run oil company’s MD Riaz Khan failed to submit a report regarding the company’s five employees, whom the company had decided to retire before the completion of their 25-year service for being overage.

The order came in response to a contempt petition filed by Sakhi Muhammad, and five other OGDCL employees, who had requested the court to start criminal proceedings against the official for defying court order.

On November 6, 2012 Justice Qureshi had disposed of the cases of the five OGDCL employees and directed the MD to form an internal inquiry committee, which might look into the matter and to resolve their grievances.

According to the petitioner’s counsel Muhammad Ramzan Khan, the internal inquiry committee had announced the decision in favour of the petitioners. “However, the MD has not submitted the report [before the court] which is violation of court order,” he argued.

He said on the last date of hearing, February 12, the court had ordered the official to appear in person. “However, neither the official has appeared today nor has he submitted the report which was tantamount to contempt of court,” he said.

The counsel said the company had decided to retire his clients prematurely due to overage. He said his clients belonged to Dera Bugti and had been working in the OGDCL for many years.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2014.