Peshawar: Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court, Justice S.M. Atiq Shah, remarked during the hearing of a case that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a province of 40 million people that is “burning,” yet no one seems to care.
According to private TV, a larger bench of the Peshawar High Court heard a contempt of court petition regarding non-implementation of its decision on flaws in the criminal justice system. During the hearing, the Chief Secretary, Advocate General, and KP Home Secretary appeared before the court.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice asked the Chief Secretary why the larger bench’s decision had not been implemented, saying the report submitted by the government contained nothing substantial. He added that the court had directed authorities to strengthen the prosecution department.
Chief Justice S.M. Atiq Shah remarked that this is a province of 40 million people and it is burning while no one is asking about it. He said the southern districts are suffering due to terrorism, and people cannot safely travel to areas such as Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, and Tank. He added that he himself had planned to visit D.I. Khan but could not do so because of security concerns.
The Chief Justice further stated that senior officials of the province must realize what is happening in the region. He criticized officers of the prosecution department for refusing to serve in backward districts, questioning why officers could not go there when female judges were performing their duties in those areas.
He also called it shameful that DNA samples from the province are being sent to Lahore for testing, saying each DNA test costs around 1.1 million rupees while the province still has no proper DNA testing laboratory.
The Chief Justice said people are facing serious hardships and authorities must take measures to reduce their suffering. He warned that if officials failed to perform their duties, the court would order action against them.
KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah told the court that he needed two to three weeks to personally review the matter and assured the bench that a detailed report would also be shared with the court.
In response, the Chief Justice granted one month’s time and instructed authorities to remove officers who were not working properly and appoint competent officials instead. He also directed them to inform the court if there was any political interference.
The court later adjourned the hearing until July 1.
