Filling vacancies: Lawyers welcome appointment of additional PHC judges

Lawyers say the move will lessen the burden, facilitate speedy disposal of cases.

PESHAWAR:

Lawyers welcomed the approval of the summary for the proposed seven new additional judges at Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday.

With the induction of Justice Afsar Ali Shah, Justice Laal Jan Khattak, Justice Ikramullah Khan, Justice Abdul Latif Khan, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Saud Khan and Justice Malik Manzoor Hassan, the total strength of PHC judges has reached 18.

Despite this, two posts at the PHC remain vacant and lawyers have demanded the government to fill the vacancies to cater to the needs of PHC’s principal bench.

The additional judges had been proposed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry while chairing a meeting of the Judicial Commission (JC) earlier this month in Islamabad.

Lawyers had been demanding to increase PHC judges to help reduce pendency and facilitate speedy disposal of cases.

Legal expert Barrister Bacha said out of the 20 seats for PHC judges, only 11 had been performing their duties, adding that among these 11, some judges have been posted at PHC benches in Abbottabad, Mingora, Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu.

Every judge at the principal seat in Peshawar hears more than 100 cases daily and the induction of new judges will help lessen the burden, Bacha added.

Since the government has failed to provide relief to the people, a trust in the judiciary has been developed and increasing writ petitions have also increased pendency, Bacha claimed. He said the remaining posts should be filled to see whether the 20 judges are sufficient or that more judges are needed.

PHC Bar Association’s former general secretary Qazi Jawad said although the two vacant seats remain unfilled, the new appointed judges will share the burden.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2013.