The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has extended the protective bails of Insaf Lawyers Forum President and senior advocate Qazi Muhammad Anwar and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Minister Nek Muhammad. The court also restrained law enforcement agencies from arresting them.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Aurangzeb heard the petition filed by Qazi Anwar.
During the hearing, Anwar's counsel, Advocate Alam Khan Adenzai, informed the court that his client, a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is facing multiple cases following the November 24 protest in Islamabad.
He argued that while his client wishes to appear before the relevant courts, there is a legitimate concern that he could be arrested beforehand. He further stated that it remains unclear how many cases have been registered against Anwar or in which cities. The court had previously directed the federal government to submit details of all cases filed against him, but no report has been provided to date.
The bench extended Qazi Anwar's protective bail and issued a fresh notice to the federal government for submission of the required details.
In a separate hearing, the court also took up the petition of Provincial Minister Nek Muhammad. During proceedings, Justice Sahibzada Asadullah questioned the petitioner's counsel about the timeline for resolving the cases. The lawyer responded that the federal government was harassing provincial ministers in Islamabad, which necessitated approaching the court for relief.
The court subsequently extended Nek Muhammad's protective bail, adjourned the hearing, and ordered authorities not to arrest him until further notice.
PHC nullifies Kohat Board Controller's transfer
Separately, PHC has annulled the K-P government's decision to transfer the Controller of Examinations of the Kohat Board and appoint Principal Roohullah Jan in his place. The court issued a short order on the matter, stating that a detailed judgment would follow.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Naeem Anwar and Justice Kamran Hayat declared both official notifications related to the transfer and new appointment null and void. The decision came in response to a writ petition filed by Malik Maqsood Anwar, represented by Advocate Khalid Rehman.
The petitioner, an Assistant Professor (BPS-18) in the Higher Education Department, was appointed as Controller of Examinations, Kohat Board, on deputation for a three-year term beginning June 8, 2022. Advocate Rehman informed the court that his client had diligently served in the position and was overseeing the matriculation and intermediate examinations, involving more than 100,000 students.
He argued that the sudden transfer on March 14, just as the FA/FSc exams were about to begin, was inappropriate and disruptive, especially since the examination papers had been prepared under his client's supervision.
The lawyer further contended that several rulings from superior courts support the principle that a deputed officer should not be recalled before completing the assigned tenure unless justified by law.
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