ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday accepted unconditional apologies submitted by five CDA officials in a contempt of court case and pardoned them.

But the judge referred the similar case of Faisal Sakhi Butt to his Chief Justice because the prime minister’s former coordinator for Islamabad had taken his complaint against him to the Supreme Judicial Council.

The five CDA officials -- directors general Ghulam Sarwar Sandhu, Syed Imran Shah, directors Mansoor Ahemd Khan, Riaz Ahmed Randhawa, and Haseen Raza Zaidi – were facing contempt of court charges as they had been meeting Faisal Sakhi Butt despite restraining orders of the court it gave on May 14.

The court while accepting their apology observed that they should fear God and not repeat such things in future.

The contempt case against director road and maintenance Anwar Gopang was referred to the IHC CJ for constituting a bench to hear it.

The same bench disposed off a contempt of court petition against the federation for not appointing a permanent president for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) after a standing counsel told the court that the whole procedure had been completed and a summary sent to the prime minister for approval.

The bench on July 18 while hearing the petition of Senior Vice-President of ZTBL, Sohail Mansoor through his counsel Barrister Afzal Hussain had directed the federation, secretary finance to appoint a permanent president of the ZTBL within a month.

As the authorities failed to hounour the orders of the court within the given timeframe, the petitioner filed a contempt of court application against secretary cabinet Nargis Sethi and secretary finance.

The standing counsel representing federation appeared before the court and said the whole procedure for the appointment of a permanent president had been completed and they had been waiting for approval from the prime minister.

The counsel requested the court to give some time. After this the petitioner withdrew its contempt of court application.

In the earlier petition the petitioner had been seeking from the court to initiate contempt proceeding against acting president ZTBL, Roohi Raees Khan for violating the court orders.

The petitioner had prayed to the court direct the authorities to appoint a permanent President instead of an acting president that is against the law.