PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel has asked the lawyers’ community of Mardan to avoid boycotting proceedings of courts over the issue of the proposed site of the judicial complex as their boycott was totally unjustified and against the interest of general public.

The lawyers’ community in Mardan had a few days ago boycotted court proceedings for three days and had decided to observe strike on every Thursday. The protesting lawyers have been demanding that instead of constructing the Judicial Complex on its present site it should be constructed on the land of the old Mardan district prison, which is close to the present district courts.

According to a press release issued by the high court, a delegation of lawyers from the Mardan District Bar Association called on the chief justice to discuss the issue. The delegation was led by association’s president Sher Mohammad Khan and general secretary Amjid Saleem. PHC Bar Association President Fida Gul and secretary general Taif Khan were also present.

The lawyers’ delegation handed over to the chief justice a copy of a resolution of the district bar association, whereby the lawyers have asked for giving the land of the old jail premises for construction of the judicial complex.

Justice Miankhel told the lawyers that the government was constructing judicial complexes throughout the province on repeated requests of the high court. He said the complexes would have all allied facilities, including well-furnished bar rooms.

The chief justice stated that the new site for construction of judicial complex in Mardan was approved with the consensus of all the lawyers’ representatives.

Mr Miankhel told the lawyers that the grant or otherwise of the site of old jail premises for the judicial complex was within the domain of the provincial government over which this court had no control; therefore, their boycott of court proceedings was unjustified.

He told the lawyers that the ultimate sufferers of their boycott would be the litigant public who had the basic stake and interest in the system.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2016