PESHAWAR, Oct 25: The massive October 8 earthquake and its aftershocks have devastated judicial buildings in the five affected districts of the NWFP, including that of the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad circuit bench, and the damage is estimated at about Rs400 million.

The registrar of the high court, Sher Shah Khan, on Tuesday requested the provincial government to provide alternative buildings as judges were working in the open in the quake-stricken districts.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that winter was approaching and soon it would be impossible for the judges to hold judicial proceedings in the open.

“In Battagram district, the judicial officers do not have even tents,” Mr Shah said, and added that in case appropriate buildings were not provided to judiciary, the courts of the affected districts would have to be shifted to other districts.

He said that they had compiled a damage report and sent it to the provincial government.

He said that the new building of the Abbottabad circuit bench was constructed four years ago and there were some construction faults in the building regarding which an FIR was lodged at that time.

He said that one third of the building had collapsed and rest of it had been damaged, therefore, it had become unfit for judicial functions.

He added that on the order of the chief justice, the circuit bench had started functioning in the judicial lodge, meant for residence of judges, but that building had also been damaged during the aftershocks.

The registrar said that the High Court Bar Association at Abbottabad demanded that the Frontier House there should be handed over to the high court for judicial functions.

“In that case, we will first examine that building whether it is fit for judicial functions or not,” Mr Sher Shah added.

He said that the provincial government had given the building of former Government Transport Service for district courts in Abbottabad. “That building is not suitable for housing courts, but we have no option,” he added.

Mr Shah said that the judges could not record evidence in the open and holding courts in open air also posed a security threat as the judges also dealt with criminal cases.

In Mansehra district, the judges were provided tents but in Battagram they lacked tents, he said.

He added that no structure had survived in Battagram due to which they even could not acquire or rent a building.

About relief activities at the high court, Mr Shah said that Chief Justice Tariq Pervez had constituted a relief fund in which judges of the high court, subordinate judiciary and ministerial staff had generously contributed.

“The relief goods were dispatched to the affected districts and medicines were purchased and handed over to the Lady Reading Hospital here for treatment of quake-affected people,” the registrar added.

A news report prepared by a private television channel was screened during the press conference, which showed the Abbottabad district and sessions judge, Hayat Ali Shah, conducting the proceedings in the open.

The under trial prisoners brought to the court had to stay in police bus as the judicial lock-up was also damaged during the quake.