PESHAWAR:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan told the Peshawar High Court he has considerable respect for the judiciary and cannot imagine criticising the courts.
He said this through a written reply submitted on Thursday before a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Haider Ali Khan. The judges were hearing the petition filed by Qaiser Khan, a resident of Hayatabad, against the initiation of proceedings by a dispute resolution council (DRC).
On May 27, the high court had ordered the suspension of all DRCs in the province till further directives were issued. The decree was extended till September 17 during the instant hearing.
Imran had gone on record against the stay orders only two days after the court’s decision.
“Imran expressed dismay over the stay order granted by the PHC against DRCs formed in K-P at local police stations,” read a statement issued by the party on May 29. “For the PHC to give a stay order halting the functioning of these committees is undemocratic.”
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai presented Imran’s response, following a June 2 show-cause notice issued to the PTI chief over his remarks on the aforementioned stay.
In the written reply, the PTI supremo maintained his comments were taken out of context. He commended the performance of DRCs through which as many as 509 disputes have been resolved since their inception.
“I have the highest regard for the courts. I meant to say efforts will be made to request the court to vacate the interim order,” the reply added.
No affidavit
CJ Miankhel remarked no affidavit has been attached with the response. “How do I believe that it has been written by Imran?” he asked. The AG told the court he was asked to submit the response on behalf of the PTI chairman and reaffirmed the authenticity of the reply.
DRCs were set up in police stations in a bid to ensure the amicable resolutions of petty disputes. They followed principles similar to those of the traditional jirga but were instead patronised by law-enforcement agencies.
The petitioner claimed he had been asked to appear before a DRC over a complaint filed against him in a monetary dispute.
He was being threatened to pay back the money and Hayatabad police repeatedly came to him and asked him to appear before the DRC secretary. He added the proceedings were illegal and the DRCs had no statutory backing and could neither replace the court of law nor enforce its own decisions.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2015.
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