No show: Court issues bailable arrest warrants for FDE head

After earlier non-appearance, Dr Shahnaz Riaz asked to turn up today


Rizwan Shehzad August 24, 2015
Dr Shahnaz Riaz

ISLAMABAD: A court on Monday issued bailable arrest warrants for Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Director-General Dr Shahnaz Riaz after she failed to appear in person despite repeated orders.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued arrest warrants for Riaz on a plea filed by Taj Traders and others seeking court intervention to direct the respondent to clear their pending dues in connection with provision of furniture to different schools in Islamabad.

According to the petitioners, they provided furniture to different schools in Islamabad in 2012 but their dues have not yet been cleared as, according to them, Riaz was lingering on the matter on one pretext or the other.

When IHC Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi took up the matter on Monday, FDE official Tahir Mustafa appeared on behalf of Riaz which drew the judge’s ire who expressed his annoyance saying why she did not appear in person as she had been directed through a notice earlier.

When Mustafa told the court that she could not turn up as she was busy in a standing committee meeting, the court snubbed him and directed him to contact her to appear in the court immediately.

Later in the afternoon when Riaz failed to make it the court, the judge issued bailable warrants and directed her to appear before the court on Tuesday (today) against a surety of Rs50,000.

“She intentionally disobeys directives issued by the court,” the court observed in its arrest warrants order. Riaz has also been directed to produce proof of her attending the standing committee meeting.

Earlier, Taj Traders’ counsel Israr Abbasi said his client and other petitioners have provided the furniture but their dues have not yet been cleared.

Abbasi said FDE high-ups have now recognised the petitioners’ claim but the DG was creating a hindrance in clearing the pending payment.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2015.

COMMENTS (1)

Parvez Amin | 8 years ago | Reply Public (awam) servants need to understand that it is their duty to serve the awam, not waste their time.chir secretaries and chief ministers should take corrective action.
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