IHC orders arrest of FDE DG,issues show-cause notice to her

Islamabad
A grade-20 officer of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) here on Tuesday behaved oddly and strangely in a quarrelsome manner during hearing before an Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench, after which the court ordered her arrest, issued show-cause notice and directed her to submit personal recognition (PR) bonds worth Rs50,000 to the IHC registrar's office alongside bail bonds of the same amount.
FDE Director General Dr. Shehnaz A Riaz was required to be present in the court in a pending dispute when the court after repeated notices had finally issued bailable arrest warrants against her on Monday.
On Tuesday, when the FDE director general arrived in the court of Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi of the IHC she not only misbehaved with the court but hurled some allegations, at which the court ordered her arrest. She was released later requiring her to submit a reply relating to whether she was aware of the court procedures, decorum and apt behaviour.
In its order, the IHC bench noted, “the lady officer was taken into custody on account of her behaviour as mentioned in order. She was again produced before the court. She is an officer of grade 20 and such behaviour was not expected from her.” To check her mental capacity, following questions have been asked. Have you ever appeared before any court? Whether you know decorum of the court? And do you know how to behave with presiding officer to whom you presumed as judge?
To the questions, she replied that she never appeared before any court of law but she knew how to behave. But the court sought a detailed explanation and noted “From replies to queries raised by the court, stance of incumbent not clear hence she is required to submit reply to the show-cause notice within three days”.
The court further noted in the judgment “Since court is of the view that language used by her in the morning was contemptuous and not tolerable that’s why show-cause notice for proceedings under Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003 to be issued to her. She is produced before the court in custody but taking a lenient view she is ordered to be released subject to her furnishing PR bonds in the sum of Rs50,000 to the satisfaction of deputy registrar of this court. She is also directed to appear in person on each and every date of hearing”.
The IHC bench directed Raja Khalid Mehmood Khan, standing counsel, Malik Mudassar Hussain and Hafiz Arfat Ahmed, advocates, to appear before the court on next date of hearing.
The matter pertains to the clearance of bills that some contractors had been claiming from the FDE on account of provision of furniture to the government schools in Islamabad. The IHC bench had directed the FDE DG to appear before the court on August 24, 2015, to submit reply in this regard. On said date, Dr. Shehnaz did not appear and sent a director, Tahir Mustafa, to represent her in the court. The court, taking notice of her absence, issued bailable arrest warrants against her. On Tuesday when she appeared, the court inquired her that whether she received notices, she said 'no'. During last hearing, Mustafa Tahir had told the court that Dr. Shehnaz is busy with a standing committee and the court had directed her to produce evidence in this regard.
The legal counsel of Taj Traders adopted before the court that his client in 2012 had provided furniture in different schools of the capital whose bills were yet to be paid. He further adopted that the respondents deliberately lingered on the matter for one reason or another, adding the high-ups of the FDE have now recognised the petitioner’s claim but Dr. Shahnaz was creating hindrance in providing payment. This led to filing of a petition in the court.