The 9th Provincial Justice Committee Meeting (PJC) was held here the other day at the Peshawar High Court, under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court, Peshawar, Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan.
The meeting was attended by Inamullah Khan, Registrar, Peshawar High Court, Shumail Ahmed Butt, Advocate General, KP, Muhammad Ali Jadoon, Vice Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, Kalim Arshad Khan, Chairman KP Service Tribunal, Ashfaque Taj, District & Sessions Judge, Peshawar, Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary / Secretary Home, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Zakir Afridi, SMBR, Dr. Ishtiaq Marwat, Additional IG Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Masood Ahmad, Secretary Law, Parliamentary Affairs & Human Rights Department, Akhtar Saeed Turk, Secretary Establishment Department, Ikramullah Khan, Secretary Finance Department, Shahid Sohail Khan, Secretary administration Department, Atta-ur-Rehman, Special Secretary, Health Department, Saadat Hassan, IG Prisons, Adnan Rasool Larik, Deputy Secretary, Law & Justice Commission of Pakistan, Mukhtiar Ahmad, DG Prosecution, Amjad Ali, Director Anti-Corruption, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Atta-ur-Rehman, Chief Engineer, Peshawar Development Authority.
The issues faced by the Justice Sector Stakeholders were discussed in the light of different agenda items. The respective members while referring to the decisions of the previous meeting informed the Chairperson that most of the decisions have been implemented.
Additional Chief Secretary informed that PDA has been approached for the provision of 66 Kanal land for the establishment of an independent Forensic Science Laboratory. The Chair directed that the construction work shall start at the earliest.
The role of the Justice Sector in Newly Merged Districts was discussed in detail. The Chairman expressed that every possible effort be made by all the stakeholders to ensure quality, substantive and expeditious Justice to the people of erstwhile FATA and to boost their confidence in the Justice System.
The Additional IG Police informed that training to police officers and officials have already been imparted and they have been posted at newly merged districts.
Shifting of courts to North Waziristan and South Waziristan was also discussed. The Secretary Home informed that due to the Law & Order situation in North Waziristan at present, shifting of courts is not suggested however, no sooner the situation improves, then the district administration as well as the courts will be shifted within the district.
The Addl. IGP assured adoption of security measures for the District Administration, Judicial Officers and Courts, the moment they are shifted. As far as shifting of courts to South Waziristan is concerned, the Committee was informed by the Addl. Chief Secretary that the Provincial Cabinet has approved bifurcation of district South Waziristan into two districts upper and lower. The SMBR stated that notification in this regard is yet to be issued by the Government and the place of sitting of Judicial Officers will be notified after finalization of census and delimitation process.
The infrastructure requirements for District Courts were also discussed. The Chairman was informed that vacant building of Higher Education Commission has already been allotted to District Judiciary Peshawar. It was decided that the offices vacated by Health Department, Mine & Minerals and Excise & Taxation shall be allotted to the District Judiciary Peshawar phase wise, so that necessary improvisation for the establishment of courts can be carried out and the required number of Judicial Officers can be posted in Peshawar to reduce delay in disposal of cases.
The issue of construction of Jail at District Malakand was also discussed thoroughly. It was informed by the IG Prisons that the scheme’s feasibility study, planning , designing and construction of District Jail Malakand” has been proposed for inclusion in the ADP 2022-23 and after its approval by the competent authority the land for construction of Malakand Jail will be identified.
IG Prisons also informed the Committee that so far districts of Haripur and Bannu have been selected to be converted into Juvenile Rehabilitation Centers and observation homes.
