PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has ordered the closure of all courts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until Mar 28 in line with the government’s public holiday announcement to stem the spread of coronavirus.

However, few courts will continue to function to hear cases of urgent nature.

Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth ordered the high court and its benches and all courts throughout the province to remain closed from Mar 24 to Mar 28.

He also said at the high court’s principal seat, two single-member benches would deal with urgent civil and criminal matters, while only a single-member bench would deal with matters of urgent nature at circuit benches.

A notification issued by Peshawar High Court registrar Khawaja Wajihuddin said at the district level, a court of sessions judge and one of civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate on rotation should deal with urgent civilian and criminal matters during the period.

It added that the staff members of all courts, who were aged 50 and above, diabetic or cardiac patients, and women, would stay home.

The notification said essential staff would be present on duty at the high court and its benches and district courts.

The high court also announced that the five-day salary of the high court judges, judicial officers and officers in BPS-17 and above throughout the province and one-day salary of the staff of the high court and its benches and district courts would be donated to the provincial government’s relief fund for use by the government in the fight against coronavirus.

It added that the notification would remain effective if the public holidays were extended by the government.

LAWYERS STRIKE: On the call of the KP Bar Council, the lawyers boycotted all courts on Tuesday against the non-elevation of Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth to the Supreme Court by the federal government and Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).

In a meeting held on Mar 21, the KP Bar Council had decided to extend the strike until Mar 31. Earlier, the lawyers had boycotted courts from Mar 17 to Mar 20.

Lawyers mostly stayed away from proceedings in courts, including the high court.

The KP Bar Council had said Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth was among the most senior chief justices of the country’s high courts, so he deserved to be elevated to the Supreme Court in accordance with the principle of seniority but the JCP didn’t consider him for that purpose.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2020