PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday expressed displeasure at the throwing of stones at the vehicle of Peshawar’s senior civil judge by a mob near Darra Adamkhel area and said the incident showed the local administration’s inefficiency towards the upholding of the rule of law.

A press release issued by the high court said PHC registrar Khawaja Wajihuddin wrote a letter to the provincial chief secretary conveying grave concerns about the safety and protection of judicial officers.

Senior civil judge (judicial) Abdul Qayum Siddiqui was stopped by a mob from carrying out the exhumation of Saadullah in line with a case registered at the Mathani police station under sections 302 and 202 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Says it is concerned about safety of judicial officers

The release said before leaving the provincial capital for exhumation, the judge had formally sought full security from the deputy commissioner of Kohat and assistant commissioner of Darra Adamkhel on March 25 through separate letters but neither proper security was provided to him nor was he rescued and provided help when his vehicle was surrounded by the mob holding sticks and stones were thrown at it.

“This incident reflects a lack of interest, negligence and inefficiency on part of the administration towards the upholding the rule of law due to which a judicial officer could not perform his official duty,” the registrar said in the letter.

Our Kohat correspondent adds: Azam Khan, an official, told Dawn that Saadullah was killed allegedly by his son in Akhorwal area of Darra Adamkhel two months ago.

He added that it was said that the Class-IV employee committed suicide but his daughters complained that he was killed by their brother and the postmortem of the body should conducted.

The official said the police came from Peshawar along with senior civil judge to exhume the body for postmortem but local people did not allow them to enter the area, saying the killer was identified and therefore there was no need for postmortem.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2019