The Peshawar High Court has issued a written order on a petition filed by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council on the deteriorating security situation in the province, and sought answers to six key questions from relevant authorities by Tuesday (today).
The case was heard by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Waqar Ahmed. The court has asked the government to answer what the procedure is for providing security to the judicial complex, courts, and bar rooms. “If there are SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in place, are they being followed? If not, how many police officers are assigned to the security of the judicial complex and bar rooms? What security equipment, fencing, vehicles, metal detectors, and bag scanners are available?”
The court also sought information on security provided to judges’ residences, asking under which SOPs authorities were operating. “If SOPs exist, what is their procedure? If not, how is security being managed? Do the police have modern security equipment?”
In the third question, the court asked the government whether there are SOPs in place for the movement of judges. “If yes, are they being implemented? How many police officers are assigned during the movement of judges? Are government residences being allocated to judges on a priority basis? If a judge does not have a government residence, what measures are being taken for their security?”
Similarly, the court has ordered information on additional security measures for judges, court complexes, and judges’ residences in sensitive areas.
The fifth question asked whether there is a separate security unit for courts, according to international standards. “If not, what is the justification for this?” the PHC asked.
Finally, the court raised the question of whether there is an accountability mechanism in place in case of a security lapse. “If such a mechanism exists, has it been implemented so far?” asked the superior court’s concluding question.
