CJ voices anger over lack of security for judges

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has expressed anger over the lack of security for judges and said that whenever a verdict was given against the police, police withdrew the security from the judges which, he said, would not work anymore.

He ordered that all judges be provided security. Justice Ijaz Anwar said that additional vehicles were parked at the homes of ministers and officers but that there were no vehicles for judges.

He said that a separate force should be formed for polio security because anti-polio vaccination drives involved the entire police force, adding that courts were closed in the southern districts and lawyers were in protest.

On Friday, a two-member special bench comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ijaz Anwar heard a petition filed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council regarding the security situation in the province.

The petitioner, K-P Bar Council Vice Chairman Sadiq Ali Momand, Additional Advocate General Inam Yousafzai, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah, the PHC Registrar and representatives of the Home Department appeared before the court.

The petitioner's lawyer told the court that the law and order situation in K-P was not good and that the petition had been filed to seek the provision of security for the courts, judges and judicial officers.

Three meetings have been held on the order of the court. The Chief Justice said that there was security for the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners.

"When a judgment is delivered against the police, police officers get angry and withdraw the security of the judges. This will not work now. All my judges will be provided security," said the Chief Justice.

Around 55 to 60 thousand First Information Reports (FIRs) are registered in Peshawar in a year. The Additional Advocate General told the court that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been made for the security of the judges while the representative of the Home Department was of the opinion that polio duty was the reason for this and that the police would be busy next week.

Justice Ijaz Anwar said that a separate force should be formed for polio as whenever there was a polio campaign, the entire police force was engaged in its security.

"Creating a separate force for polio security can solve this problem," he added.

The representative of the Home Department said that the department provided security to the judges, there was no security for judicial magistrates in the notification, and that all judges were being provided security in the risky areas. In response, Justice Ijaz Anwar said the courts were closed in the southern districts and lawyers were in protest. What security measures have been taken during the movement of judges, he asked.