ISLAMABAD: The director general, Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Dr Shahnaz A. Riaz on Monday submitted an unconditional apology to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for her ‘contemptuous’ behavior.

The IHC Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi had issued her bailable arrest warrants on August 24 after she did not appear before the court to attend the hearing of a petition filed by a furniture supplier seeking recovery of Rs1.2 million reportedly due towards the FDE.

On August 25, the court ordered her arrest after she exchanged a few words with the judge but was released on submitting Rs50,000 surety bonds.

Earlier, on August 28, the DG submitted her reply before the court saying that she had cleared the outstanding amount of the furniture supplier.

She claimed before the court that her absence from the hearing on August 24 was not deliberate as she was in the meeting of the National Assembly standing committee and her mobile phone was switched off and could not be contacted by her staff.

On Monday, Dr Riaz appeared before the court along with president IHC bar association Raja Aleem Khan Abbasi and some other lawyers.

Abbasi told the court that DG FDE was submitting unconditional apology before the court for what she said on August 25.

He said she was very upset for airing and publishing of the news about issuance of her arrest warrants, and whatever she said had distressed her.

The court, however, directed the DG to confess her crime first. The judge further directed her to tender a written apology before him and adjourned further proceedings till September 29.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015

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