PESHAWAR, Feb 11: An outgoing judge of Peshawar High Court, Justice Miftauddin Khan, said here on Monday that trust of masses in superior judiciary was enhanced as it was striving for the rule of law.

Addressing a full court reference held in his honour, Justice Miftaudduin said that it was the obligation of the judiciary to safeguard the constitution and rule of law.

He added that apex courts were confronted with corrupt elements. Those elements were feeling threatened from a proactive judiciary playing its constitutional role, he added.

Justice Miftauddin Khan, who was the senior puisne judge of the high court, is going to attain superannuation on Tuesday and Monday was his last working day.

He was born in Swat district in 1951 and did his graduation in 1973 from Jehanzeb College Swat.

He topped the LLB examination in 1975 from the Peshawar University and was appointed as civil judge in 1977.Justice Miftauddin was later on promoted as district and sessions judge and served in that capacity at different stations.

He also served as a judge of the accountability courts for six years and during that stint he was known as a judge deciding cases without any fear or favour.

He was appointed as additional judge of the high court in Sept 2009 and two years later in 2011 he was confirmed as a judge of the high court.

Addressing the reference, PHC Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan said that Monday was both a day of joy and sorrow for him as on the one hand Justice Miftauddin Khan would be laying down his robes after a successful judicial career stretched over 35 years, whereas on the other hand they would be bidding farewell to a nice colleague.

He added that they would continue to feel his absence for long.

However, he added that his association with Justice Miftauddin as a friend would continue.

The reference was also addressed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general Khalid Khan, deputy attorney general Mohammad Iqbal Mohmand and general secretary of PHCBA Qazi Jawad Ahsanullah.

Meanwhile, a condolence reference was also held in the memory of a former chief lection commissioner of Pakistan and former chief justice of PHC Justice (retired) Sardar Fakhre Alam, who passed away last month. Justice Fakhre Alam was 84.