PESHAWAR, June 7: The Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Thursday said if the Judicial Commission for Appointment of Judges didn’t fill the judges’ vacancies at the high court, then lawyers would attend court proceedings until 2:30pm only from July 1.

Currently, the court functions in the evening, too, to hear maximum number of cases.

Addressing a news conference here, PHCBA president Abdul Lateef Afridi complained about shortage of judges in the high court and said the situation was fast turning into a crisis.

He said currently, PHC had nine judges against the sanctioned strength of 20.

Mr Afridi further said only three judges had been working at the PHC principal seat in Peshawar, while rest of the six judges were posted to the court’s circuit benches in Abbottabad, DI Khan, Swat and Bannu.

He demanded early filling of the high court vacancies besides increasing its strength.

The PHCBA president said over 200 cases were daily fixed before the only PHC division bench functioning in Peshawar, which had to function until evening to hear such a large number of cases.

He said the association had decided to follow the proper court timings until 2:30pm from July 1 and the judicial commission and the government should fill the vacant seats at the earliest.

Mr Afridi asked the judicial commission to consider the re-appointment of five former additional judges, Ziaur Rehman Khan, Sher Mohammad Khan, Samad Khan, Imtiaz Ahmad and Sardar Shaukat Hayat, to the high court. He said the bar had trust in the said judges, who were relieved of job without assigning any reason.

The PHCBA president also expressed concern over the alleged plan of intelligence agencies to kill leading lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jehangir and urged the government to expose those behind the plan.

“Asma Jehangir is a known figure, who has always stood against despots and human rights violators. The government should provide proper security to her. If anything happens to her, then the lawyers will react strongly,” he said.

PHCBA vice president Babar Khan Yousafzai, secretary general Qazi Jawad Ahsanullah and other office-bearers were also present on the occasion.