PESHAWAR, April 3: Justice Malik Hamid Saeed of the Peshawar High Court retired on Sunday, increasing the number of vacancies in the court to three.

Justice Hamid, who was the senior most judge of the high court after outgoing Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk, was appointed additional judge on Feb 1, 1997, and confirmed after one year.

With the elevation of Justice Nasir and retirement of Justice Hamid, now 12 judges are there in the high court against the sanctioned strength of 15.

Justice Nasir, who was the youngest chief justice of the Peshawar High Court, served in the PHC for eight months after taking oath on July 31, 2004. He was born on Aug 16, 1950, and in the Supreme Court, he is going to retire in 2015. In the Supreme Court too Justice Nasir is the youngest judge.

At present, two other judges elevated from the PHC, Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, have been serving in the apex court. Justice Raza and Justice Shakirullah will retire in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Nazim Hussain Siddiqui will attain superannuation in June 2005.

Newly appointed Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court Justice Tariq Pervez, whose notification was issued on Saturday, was appointed along with Justice Hamid as additional judge in 1997.

Before his elevation to the high court, he was serving as the president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association and among the legal circles, he was considered well versed in criminal law.

Justice Tariq will attain superannuation in Feb 2010. After him, the senior most judge is Justice Shahjehan Khan Yousafzai who will retire in April 2012.