Checkposts, barriers not removed despite chief justice’s order

PESHAWAR: The checkposts and barriers haven’t been removed from the roads in the provincial capital even two days after the Supreme Court Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar gave 48 hours deadline for the purpose.

On May 9, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Nisar had directed the authorities to remove the checkposts and obstacles from the roads in Peshawar within 48 hours.

Heading a division bench of the Supreme Court that also included Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, the chief justice passed the order while hearing an application of senior lawyer Khurshid Khan.

Talking to The News, Khurshid Khan said that it is a violation of the order of the Supreme Court to not remove the checkposts and barricades from the roads within 48 hours. He said that both the Punjab and Sindh governments had removed the checkposts and barricades from the roads within 24 hours after the Supreme Court order.

He said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa both the civil and military authorities have violated the apex court’s order.

The lawyer pointed out that barricades have yet to be removed from outside the Balahisar Fort and the walls erected on the roads towards Civil Secretariat and Governor House are still in place.

He added that the barriers on the roads haven’t been removed in various parts of the city.

The military checkposts, he said, still existed, though a few had been removed before the order of the apex court.

“I am going to file contempt of court petition before the Supreme Court for non-compliance with the court order,” Advocate Khurshid Khan told The News. “All the barriers, either erected by the military or civilian administration, shall be removed within 48 hours,” the Chief Justice had ordered.

He ordered the Intelligence Bureau, the ISI and the civilian administration that only the absolutely important checkposts should be kept, but not without taking permission from the court.

In his application, Khurshid Khan had submitted that the roads in Peshawar were already in a terrible condition due to the work on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. He asked the court to order opening of all the closed roads.

The petitioner also stated that the Iranian and US consulates had blocked two roads in the University Town. He noted that the roads in Peshawar Cantonment areas had been blocked for the common man on the pretext of security.

The Chief Justice had assured the applicant that all the checkposts would be removed. He remarked that those feeling insecure should construct concrete walls around themselves.

However, the Chief Justice gave exception to the US and Iranian consulates in Peshawar. “It is the duty of our government to provide them security,” he said, adding that he had allowed such security protection to the consulates in Lahore as well.

During hearing of the case, Chief Secretary Azam Khan had stated that the city was still facing some genuine threats and it would not be in the interest of Peshawar to remove all the checkposts and obstacles.

The Chief Justice replied that “Only install checkposts where they are necessary and tell me where they are needed. There should only be a few checkposts apart.”

He ordered that the roads be cleared for the public immediately. “Why have you blocked all these roads? If there are security concerns, then inform me,” he said.

After passing of the order, the court room thundered with the applause by the members of civil society present at the hearing in Peshawar High Court.