ABBOTTABAD: Representatives of lawyers have demanded the elevation of a senior Peshawar High Court judge to the Supreme Court and an increase in the high court strength.

The demand was made by members of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad, and other bar associations of Hazara Division during a joint news conference here.

Accompanied by the presidents and members of the Abbottabad, Ghazi, Havelian, Haripur and other bar associations, PHCBA Abbottabad president Mehdi Zaman said the Judicial Commission of Pakistan should elevate a senior PHC judge to the Supreme Court on merit as the 17-strong apex court currently had just one judge from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said Fata’s merger had brought Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s population and area on a par with Sindh’s but KP had just 19 judges against Sindh’s more than 50.

Bars also call for increase in PHC strength

The PHCBA leader asked authorities to take corrective measures to address unrest in the province’s judges.

He said KP had produced brilliant judges like Justice Seth Waqar, so the judges of its high court should deserve elevation to the apex court.

Mr Zaman said the PHC judges were so overburdened with work that they had to work for two to three extra hours daily.

He said the high court strength should be increased to provide relief to the judges and ensure speedy dispensation of justice to people.

The PHCBA urged the judiciary to improve its image worldwide to improve low ranking.

He said judges should neither become the “voice of any political party” nor should they take political matters into their hands and instead, they should play their constitutional roles only.

Mr Zaman said the court benches should be formed on “merit” only by seeding and seniority of the honorable judges to prevent division in judiciary.

He warned if that didn’t happen, then history would never forgive the judiciary for its questionable role played during the times of Supreme Court chief justices Mohammad Munir, Irshad Hasan Khan, Naseem Hasan Shah and Saqib Nisar.

KILLED: Two workers were killed and three injuredas a soapstone mine collapsed in the Bandi Nakra area here late on Monday.

The police and Rescue 1122 personnel with the help of residentsretrieved the bodies of Shoaib, 22, and Sajid, 23, and shifted the injured, including Jan, Shahzeb and Wajid, to the hospital.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2023