PESHAWAR, June 16: Two courts in Peshawar have to decide the question as to whether the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) officials are immune from prosecution during their postings, under the UN Charter.

The issue came before the courts of senior Civil Judge Shahid Khan and Judicial Magistrate Hafeez Naseem Akhter where some petitions of an ex-employee of the UNHCR are pending against three officials of the commission. But the officials have not appeared yet before these courts claiming immunity from the appearance.

The senior civil judge has now issued a proclamation against the UNHCR regional head and two other officials in a damages suit filed against them by an ex-resettlement case worker, Ghalib Baryalai.

The court issued proclamation after the failure of the officials to appear in person or through their counsel, despite issuance of summons in their names.

The damages suit of $1 million was filed through advocate Syed Asif Ali Shah. Defendants in the suit are UNHCR Regional Head Ms Masti Notez, Security Incharge Jan Fischer and another official Ms Shahnaz Parveen.

The court has fixed June 25, for next hearing and directed that the defendants should attend the court personally or through authorised agent or pleader, otherwise an ex parte proceedings would be initiated against them.

The court also directed that an advertisement be given against the defendants in a prominent newspaper and the proclamation should be posted at a prominent place outside the office of the UNHCR here.

A criminal complaint is also pending against the three officials before the court of Judicial Magistrate Hafeez Naseem.

The officials are said to have not appeared before the magistrate, claiming immunity from appearance under the UN Charter. The magistrate has now fixed July 8, for hearing the case.

The complainant, resident of Gulshanabad colony, Arbab Road, has claimed that Ms Notez was having some grudges against him, due to which they were not having good terms with each other. He stated that on her directives, a surveillance of his residence was started from the house of Ms Shahnaz, who was his neighbour and worked in the UNHCR.

The plaintiff stated, when he came to know about that act of the defendants, he sent a complaint to the Inspector General Office in Geneva, over which an inquiry was started. After that on May 25, Jan Fischer forced his way into his residence and quarrelled with him, he said.