PESHAWAR, June 4: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan on Monday suggested to the government to begin railcar service between Peshawar and Hayatabad Township with the support of the Bank of Khyber, saying the project will can reduce traffic chaos and pollution on the city roads up to 70 per cent.

After inaugurating a BoK branch on the high court premises, the chief justice said traffic problem in the provincial capital had turned unbearable and the government and city planners should prioritised its resolution.

“The Bank of Khyber, which has already been involved with the provincial government in different public sector projects, may also conduct feasibility study of this project in consultation with the government. This will be in the public interest and will enhance goodwill of the bank,” he told participants.

On the occasion, the chief justice said the main objective of the judiciary was to advance justice without fear or favour as well as in an expeditious manner and also to see whether all stakeholders of the judicial system were satisfied.

He added that on day-to-day basis, judges discussed problems faced by stakeholders and one of the people’s dire needs was the setting up of a bank’s branch on the high court premises as money was deposited there.

Justice Dost Mohammad said the branch of BoK would benefit judges, employees of judiciary and members of the bar, whose number ran into thousands.

He expressed the hope that the branch would be a huge success in Peshawar with the highest balance sheet.

The chief justice said the bank came into being 18 years ago but had achieved remarkable targets since due to well-deliberated decisions based on policy and the same was effectively implemented by field corps, including employees at grassroots level.He said global recession had turned the world’s finest economies bankrupt but the direct victim was banking sector.

“It left millions of employees jobless, while thousands of banks were forced to shut down. Its impact on Pakistan was of lesser magnitude,” he said.

Justice Dost Mohammad asked the bank’s management to enhance contact and regular interaction between senior officers and clerks, especially in remote areas.

“This will help bring more money to the bank. To compete with other banks and financial institutions, BoK shall focus on modern facilities at all levels and places so that the eye may miss its signboards,” he said.

Earlier, managing director of BoK Bilal Mustapha said his bank was set up under the BoK Act and was scheduled in 1994.

He added that since 2008, it had begun expansion policy and had set up its branches in important cities and commercial centres from outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Mustapha said since 2008, the total deposits of the bank rose from Rs22.76 billion to Rs45.54 billion, showing a growth of over 100 per cent, while the assets of the bank increased from Rs32.43 billion to Rs68.65 billion.

“We have also been contributing a lot to the social sector. The government has tasked us with several of its projects, including Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme, Hunermand Rozgar (skilled employment) Scheme, and Rewaiti Hunermand Scheme (traditional skill employment),” he said.

Later, BoK executive director Mir Javed Hashmat presented vote of thinks on behalf of management.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by PHC judge Mian Fasihul Mulk, Peshawar district and sessions judge Shehbar Khan, additional chief secretary and chairman of the BoK board of directors Attaullah Khan, and provincial finance secretary and member of the BoK board of directors, Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad.