ISLAMABAD: Tuesday might be a `bad day` for the director general of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Shahnaz A. Riaz as she was not only briefly detained at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) but was also issued a contempt notice by the court.

The IHC Justice Noorul Haq N. Qureshi had issued bailable arrest warrants for Ms Riaz on Monday. While appearing before Justice Qureshi on Tuesday, she criticised the judge for issuing her arrest warrants.

`I did not receive any court notice for personal appearance,` she claimed.

She asked the judge why he had issued her arrest warrants when she was not informed for attending the court`s proceedings.

Ms Riaz was summoned a day earlier by the court on a petition filed by a furniture supplier seeking payment of dues outstanding against the FDE. Justice Qureshi told the DG that the court had summoned her twice and kept waiting for her on Monday and after her repeated absence the warrants were issued to ensure her presence.

Ms Riaz, however, insisted that the court should not have issued her warrants and said that due to some reservations she could not comply with the court orders for the clearance of the outstanding amount of the petitioner.

On this the judge reminded her that if she had reservations over the court`s order, it could have been challenged at an appropriate forum. But theFDE chief kept on criticising the court`s order.

Upon this, the judge summoned a lady constable and directed her to take Ms Riaz into custody, who took her to the police control room at the IHC.

She was kept there for few hours until she submitted Rs50,000 surety bonds to the deputy registrar of the IHC.

After that the court again resumed the hearing of the case.JusticeQureshiobserved that being an officer of grade 20 such behaviour did not suit her. He observed that in the morning the behaviour of Ms Riaz was contemptuous and not tolerable.

In the order issued after the proceedings, the judge wrote: `In order to check her mental capacity, following questions have been asked (from Ms Riaz).

In the questions, the court asked the DG FDE `Have you ever appeared before any court?` The response was `I have never appeared before any high court, Supreme Court and not even before any lower court.` The next question was `Whether you know decorum of the court?` The reply was `I know the decorum of the court.` The next question to DG FDE was `Do you know how to behave with presiding officer to whom you presumed as judge?` She replied `yes`. In response to question whether she had submitted explanation in compliance with order of August 24, Ms Riaz said that she did not receive any order.

Justice Qureshi then issued a show cause notice under contempt of court ordinance 2003 and asked the DG to submit a reply in three days.

The judge also asked the lawyer Hafiz Arafat Ahmed as well as standing counsel Khalid Mehmood Khan to appear on August 28 when the court would take up the contempt of court case.