District and sessions court hears first-ever case in Mohmand

District and sessions judge visits Ghallanai sub-jail to review the condition of prisoners

SHABQADAR: The court hearing commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran and was followed by officials distributing sweets among the prosecution and the defence. Thus began the very first hearing at the newly set up district and sessions court in the Mohmand tribal district on Monday.

The Mohmand districts courts, which are the second such facility to open in all the seven erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata), were inaugurated by District and Sessions Judge Asad Hameed Bangash.

Prior to listening to cases, the newly-employed lower court staff were introduced to the judges. A meeting was also held with the court officials.

The court then started regular hearings, with prosecutors, lawyers and defendants appearing in the courts.

Later, after the hearings, Judge Bangash visited the Ghallanai sub-jail to examine the facilities being providing to inmates.

Judge Bangash urged judges, the judicial and non-judicial staff of the district courts to perform their duty with complete honesty and to never indulge in corruption.

He further urged them to provide speedy justice to all apart from looking into cases involving women and children with special care.

The judge also thanked the Mohmand deputy commissioner (DC) and the District Police Officer (DPO) for the provision of offices and security to the courts and Judges in the tribal district.

Rights activists described the first hearings in the district and sessions courts on Monday as historic.

Hiran Mohmand, a rights activist and a journalist, said that this day had come after a long struggle. He added that today, tribesmen have secured access to their rights of a lawyer and ‘daleel’ — Logic and reasoning — and appeal.

In the past, Mohmand said that litigants only had a single recourse to resolve disputes: the political agent, who became so powerful that he operated as the judge, jury and executioner.

District courts in the Bajaur tribal district commenced hearings last week on Friday, June 28.

Regular courts had started working in the erstwhile Fata in March 2019 after the jurisdiction of regular courts were extended into the newly-merged districts after the passage of the 25th constitutional amendment in May 2018. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2019.