PESHAWAR, May 18: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan on Saturday said the people had taken revenge on the former rulers by voting against them over failure to deliver and the same should serve as a warning to the new government.

“The people used their right to vote to take revenge on the parties forming last government and the new political dispensation should bear in mind that they will face the same public treatment in case of failure to address their misery,” he said at a ceremony held here for distribution of official vehicles among 50 additional district and sessions judges.

Justice Dost Mohammad said the new government should focus on providing education to the people, ensuring rule of law by treating all equally, implementing judgments of the superior courts in public interest cases, and foiling the conspiracies against the country. He laid emphasis on the importance of democracy for the country and said the continuation of democratic process would serve as a filter and ultimately, the corrupt elements would be out of the assemblies.

The chief justice declared the transfer of power from one civilian government to another a historical moment and good omen for the country. He urged political forces to shun differences and get together for handling the challenges faced by the country and said if that didn’t happen, then the country would plunge further into crisis.

Justice Dost Mohammad said Pakistan was a nuclear state and conspiracies were hatched against it on international level for the same reason. He said the new government should set aside its political considerations and take the people along with it to meet national challenges.

The chief justice regretted that other national institutions failed to deliver due to which the burden of litigation on the superior judiciary had increased manifold.

He said corruption valuing millions of rupees were taking place in the provincial health department and the government’s indifference prompted the high court to take notice of it.

Justice Dost Mohammad said some high officials had been arrested in the case related to purchase of hepatitis vaccines, while more arrests were expected in near future. He declared lower courts the backbone of the judiciary and asked judges not to be involved in corruption and said there was zero tolerance for corruption in the superior judiciary, these days.

The chief justice later distributed keys of official vehicles to additional district and sessions judges and announced that in Oct, official vehicles would be handed over to all civil judges.

Also in the day, Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan chaired a meeting on the premises of Peshawar High Court.

The participants decided that the staff of PHC’s Bannu circuit bench would work at Darbar Hall until completion of work on the bench’s own building in Bannu.—Bureau Report