SC seeks asset details post CDA official release

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered to release the arrested Capital Development Authority (CDA) official Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu and sought the details of his assets, Geo News reported.

During today’s proceedings, Director General Planning CDA Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu was presented before the court where his counsel told the court that he did not intend to ridicule the court and pleaded for leniency.

On this, the court ordered for Sindhu’s release and instructed the chairman CDA to present the details of his assets by July 13. The court has also sought details of Sindhu’s foreign tours.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui passed harsh remarks about Sindhu’s behaviour and said that corruption is prevailing in the CDA due to the presence of people like him who tries to influence courts with their power and money.

On Monday, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC sent Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu to Adiala Jail under Section 5 of the Contempt of Court Act and initiated contempt of court proceedings against him “for his misbehaviour with the court.”

The court was hearing a land allotment case. During previous hearings in the case, the court had barred CDA officials from meeting the former chief coordinator of the prime minister on Islamabad affairs, Faisal Sakhi Butt. The court had issued show-cause notice to two officials of the CDA – Director General Planning Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu and Director Municipal Administration Mansoor Ali Khan – for meeting Faisal Sakhi Butt during the last hearing in the case on June 26. The court had also turned down their request for unconditional apology and reprimanded them.

On Monday, the court took strict notice of the ‘contemptuous behaviour’ of Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu and sent him to Adiala Jail. The court, in its order, said: “The mannerism of Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu has been arrogant and he kept staring at the court with anger as if he intended to give the message that he has no respect for the courts, judicial proceedings and any order passed therein. This court warned him to be careful but his consistent demeanour was tantamount to disturbing the order of the court. The court is convinced that the act of Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu is liable to be punished under Section 5 of the Contempt of Court Act 2003. He be taken into custody, kept at Adiala Jail and be produced again on July 3.”