Contempt charge: LHC issues notice to army’s surgeon general

Medical store owner says court directions to army regarding sealing of his store were not followed.

RAWALPINDI: Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday issued a contempt of court notice to the Pakistan Army Surgeon General Lt General Azhar Rashid.

LHC Justice Shah Khawar gave Lt General Azhar Rashid till August 10 to submit his reply to the contempt petition filed by Naeem Chaudhry, the owner of a private medical store in Okara.

Chaudhry has requested that the court start contempt proceedings against the general for not implementing an LHC order regarding the blacklisting of his medical store.

Last year, military authorities blacklisted Chaudhry’s store after allegedly receiving information regarding corrupt practices against the store owner.

However, Chaudhry moved an application in the LHC against blacklisting of his medical store saying that the army authorities passed an adverse order against him without offering him a chance to present his stance. Subsequently, the court ordered the surgeon general to hear the petitioner and then pass an appropriate order after that.

In the contempt application, Chaudhry alleged that despite the court directions, Gen Rashid did not offer him a chance to defend himself and that his medical store remains blacklisted and sealed.

After issuing the directions, the court adjourned the case till August 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th,2014.