Accessibility: PHC orders reopening of Civil Quarters route

Court annoyed over that its previous order was not being implemented

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court directed the Frontier Constabulary to ensure the implementation of a previous order through which it called for the opening of a route being used by pedestrians and motorcyclists in Civil Quarters.

Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan on Wednesday expressed his displeasure over the closure of roads in the city by security forces. He asked if common people were meant to use helicopters to go to their houses.

Advocate Aamir Sabbir, who filed the petition, told the court the route was being used for the last many years and connected many congested areas between Civil Quarters and FC intersection in Saddar.

“The high court ordered reopening the route on May 30, 2014, but it was recently blocked again. The route is being used by residents of Civil Quarters, Kotla Mohsin Khan, Landi Arbab and Nothai,” added Sabbir.

He said it remained open for many months, but was closed down by FC on the first of Ramazan, creating countless problems for residents.

The court expressed annoyance over the fact that its previous order was not being implemented and issued fresh directions to reopen the route.

In a separate case, the division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan ordered the suspension of a certain section in an accountability court order that restrained a district forest officer from filing an appeal against a departmental enquiry.

Sardar Ali Raza told the court officer Muhammad Tariq was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau on April 26 in an assets case. His offer for voluntary return was accepted on May 6 and needed the approval of an accountability court.

Raza told the bench the accountability court judge asked his client to give a written guarantee he would not file an appeal against the departmental enquiry. The court made it a condition for the acceptance of his application.

The high court, after hearing the arguments, accepted the petition and ordered the suspension of the said portion which restrained Tariq from filing an appeal against a departmental enquiry.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2015.