PESHAWAR, Oct 7 Three judges of the Peshawar High Court who have taken oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) in Nov 2007 have gone on leave.

Official sources told Dawn that the judges -- Justice Jehanzeb Rahim, Justice Said Maroof Khan and Justice Hamid Farooq Durrani -- have gone on leave after the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued contempt of court notices to them.

A 14-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Monday issued contempt of court notices to those judges of the superior court who had taken oath under the PCO after General Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency in the country on Nov 3, 2007, despite a restraining order issued by the apex court.

Official sources said that the notices of the apex court were served on the said three judges on Tuesday.

Following the imposition of emergency nine of the 13 judges of the PHC had taken oath under the PCO. Out of the said nine judges two of them -- Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Qaim Jan Khan -- were elevated to the Supreme Court, but they ceased to be judges of the court after the July 31 judgment of the apex court.