PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has promoted 59 judicial officers, including eight additional district and sessions judges, 22 senior civil judges and 29 civil judges, to set up regular courts in the seven tribal districts merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government recently sanctioned 907 posts, including seven of district and session judge, 14 of additional district and session judge, seven of senior civil judges and 24 of civil judges, for the tribal districts, which were collectively called Fata before merger with KP.

PHC registrar Khwaja Wajihuddin issued three notifications for these promotions.

A notification said PHC Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and administrative committee of the high court judges promoted eight additional district and sessions judges (BPS-20) to the posts of district and sessions judges/Zilla Qazi in (BPS-21).

These courts will work in neighbouring districts for the time being

The eight promoted ADJs, who are promoted as district and sessions judges (DSJs), include Munawar Khan, Javedur Rehman, Kalsoom Azam, Irshad Ahmad Khan, Kashif Nadeem, Sadia Arshad, Mohammad Shoaib and Shakeel Azam Awan.

Similarly, the high court issued the notification of 22 additional district and sessions judges/Izafi Zilla Qazi by promoting senior civil judges (BPS-18). They include Syed Ali Raza, Mohammad Shoaib Khan, Alamgir Shah, Nisar Mohammad Khan, Javeria Sartaj, Kiran Naz, Syed Mudassir Shah Termzi, Mohammad Ghayyas Khan, Wajid Ali, Mohammad Faiz, Syed Shaukatullah Shah, Abdul Wahab Qureshi, Zaeem Ahmad, Abdul Majid, Fida Mohammad, Amanullah Khan, Mohammad Tayyib Jan, Mirza Mohammad Kashif, Afzal Ahmad, Attaullah Jan and Aftab Iqbal.

Among the promoted civil judges are Irshad Ali, Abdul Hassan Mohammad, Mohammad Ilyas Khan, Issa Khan, Adam Khan, Shamsul Huda, Mohammad Sher Ali Khan, Inam Khan, Fazal Nasir Shah, Hussain Ali, Haseena Saqlain, Shaukat Ali, Mohammad Mushtaq, Akbar Ali, Imrana Shaheen, Akbar Ali, Quratul Ain Chand Irfan, Ijaz Younas, Shah Faisal, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Khalid Mansoor, Ijaz Ur Rehman, Israr Ali Shah, Kiran Shaukat, Mohammad Irfan, Najeebul Haq, Mohammad Hanif, Mohammad Ilyas and Iftikhar Ahmad.

A news release issued by the high court said a policy decision had already been taken for the establishment of courts in tribal districts, while makeshift courts would be established in districts adjoining the erstwhile Fata for the time being.

It said the recruitment of staff would be carried by the incumbent district and sessions judges from among the people possessing domicile of the merged districts on merit.

The high court has constituted a steering committee having representation of all key stakeholders for establishing regular courts at the earliest in merged tribal districts.

The release said the steering committee would act as a bridge for ensuring coordination among key stakeholders to streamline and expedite the entire process of setting up courts in the merged districts.

The high court has written letters to the provincial chief secretary and inspector general of police to nominate a focal person for the committee.

The release said the court was working on war footing to make courts functional in merged districts while being cognisant of the important justice sector in the administration of justice.

Also, the court has finalised immediate and mid-term action plans for the purpose.

The steering committee is mandated for the timely compliance of the plans that include recruitment, training of staff, and automation of record and infrastructure provision. Both the immediate and mid-term action plan will run parallel.

The high court has also directed the Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy to compile a compendium containing Riwaj (customs) of the newly-created districts by May 31, 2019, as an understanding of oldlaws, customs and procedure is very important due to the current transition stage of the courts’ establishment.

Devised by Judicial Academy Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a crash training course for judicial officers to be posted to tribal districts is likely to roll out in the current week.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2019