PESHAWAR: The district and sessions judge of Kohat, Ahmad Sultan Tareen, was transferred and posted to the Peshawar High Court as an officer on special duty on Wednesday, but through a subsequent order the judicial officer was suspended.

The orders were released by PHC’s registrar Muhammad Salim Khan.

The first order said: “Honourable Chief Justice and Judges of this Court are pleased to order immediate transfer of Mr Ahmad Sultan Tareen, District and Sessions Judge, Kohat, and post him as OSD, Peshawar High Court, Peshawar, in the public interest. He stands relieved and directed to report to this office immediately.”

The subsequent order read: “In exercise of power conferred by Rule 6 of the Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Government Servants (Effici­ency and Disciplinary) Rules, 2011, the competent authority has been pleased to order immediate suspension of Mr Ahmad Sultan Tareen, District and Sessions Judge (BPS-21), currently OSD, Peshawar High Court, Peshawar.”

Another district judge, Shoaib Khan, who was serving as a special judge at Peshawar’s customs, taxation and anti-smuggling court, was posted as the district and sessions judge for Kohat.

It was not immediately clear as to what necessitated the action against Mr Tareen.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2018