LAHORE, June 30: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday summoned in person for July 13 director (food) Jawwad Rafiq Malik to explain his failure in abiding by a court order. The director is facing a contempt of court petition moved through advocate Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry by the Sheikh Brothers Flour Mills contending that the food department officer misled the court by submitting a wrong reply.

The mills moved the department for a wheat quota and upon its delay, moved the LHC in a writ petition. The court directed the officer to ensure that a decision on the mills’ application was taken within a week (March 1, 2004).

When the department failed to take a decision within the time stipulated by court, the mills submitted a contempt of court petition. The department submitted a reply that it had taken the decision by March 1.

The counsel for the mills disputed the department report on the plea that a report by another branch of the food department to allow the wheat quota was sent to the director on March 3 and the report that the director had taken the decision by March 1, was wrong and misleading.

Convicted: An anti-narcotics court on Thursday sentenced Qaisar Mahmood to three years in prison with a Rs300,000 fine.

The convict was arrested by the ANF from his residence in Gujranwala on March 18 last year and 40 kilograms of marijuana recovered from his possession.

Qaisar will have to undergo one-year imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.