ISLAMABAD – A petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against Federal Minister Faisal Vawda for not submitting his reply despite court orders was filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday.
The contempt of court petition was filed by an Islamabad-based lawyer Mian Muhammad Faisal who is also petitioner in a petition seeking disqualification of the Federal Minister for Water Resources for allegedly concealing his US nationality at the time of filing his nomination papers to contest the last general elections.
The petitioner stated that he filed a writ petition against the respondent Vawda while challenging his holding of office as an MNA and Federal Minister. He added that after preliminary arguments on the case on January 29, the court admitted the case for hearing. He adopted that he had annexed strong documentary evidence against him, that he was not qualified to become an MNA on the relevant time of submission of nomination papers for the seat of MNA. He continued that the record showed that the Minister was holding the nationality of USA on June 11, 2018.
Mian Faisal said that in the light of prima facie evidence against Vawda, the court issued an order dated January 29, 2020 saying, “issue notice to the respondent who shall file report and para wise comments/ reply so as to reach this court within a fortnight.â€
He contended that despite of passing more than five months, the respondent did not bother to file a report or reply in compliance of the above order of the court. He added that as the respondent is holder of public office and enjoying the status of the Federal Minister in the cabinet and he is part of every decision of the Cabinet.
Therefore, he prayed to the court that petition may be accepted by issuance of an appropriate order taking contempt proceedings against Vawda for flouting and non-complying with the clear directions passed in the petition seeking his disqualification for concealing his US nationality.
