RAWALPINDI, June 16: Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench here on Monday directed district coordination officer to appear in the court on June 18 to explain why the contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for not complying with a 2002 court order.

Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha of LHC while hearing the contempt of court petition filed by a government contractor directed the DCO, district officer buildings and executive engineer buildings to appear in the court and explain their position.

Justice Mian Jhangir of LHC decided on September 10, 2002 that the Punjab government should pay Rs46,231 to Sharif Enterprises a construction company that carried out a public sector project that year. The company approached the high court for the release of their money.

When the contractor did not get his money despite the court orders he filed a contempt of court case on November 11, 2003. Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan of LHC Pindi bench directed the DCO to release the amount within two months after the official assured the court that the money would be paid to the petitioner.

Despite the LHC orders the contractor did not get his money and he filed second contempt of court petition through Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui advocate in 2004 that was taken up by Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha on Monday and sought the reply of the respondents.

In another case, a division bench of the LHC issued notices to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to submit its reply in response to a petition filed by Nasir Mehmood seeking quashment of the reference against him.

The bench comprising Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha and Justice Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah directed the NAB prosecutor to submit their reply in two weeks after the accused sought abolishment of the case against him.