Some laws need amendment to end backlog: PHC

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel said on Monday that backlog of cases had increased in courts due to lack of proper amendments to some laws.

“A large number of litigants would not have been facing problems in courts today had amendments been made to the laws,” the chief justice remarked while hearing a bail petition of an accused, Adnan.

The chief justice observed that in majority of areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the issue of Shamilat (shared land in a village) is about to end, but the laws were not amended.

About the bail petition, the court was informed that the petitioner was booked in a Shamilat case as he reportedly violated the law for intervening in the land seized by the state in a dispute between two parties.

The lawyer said the prosecution failed to provide solid evidence and requested to release him on bail. The court adjourned the bail petition for the next hearing and issued a notice to the police and respondents to submit reply.

In another case, the same bench headed by the chief justice issued contempt of court notice to investigation officer and “Moharrar” Tehkal Police Station, directing them to appear in person.

When the bench started hearing in the bail petition of an accused, Hassan Khan, his lawyer submitted that on the previous hearing when the law officer contacted the investigation officer of the police station to submit challan in the narcotics case of the accused in trial court, he insulted the court officer.

On the court’s order, the lawyer added, the department conducted investigation against the police officials through the senior superintendent of police (SSP) investigation and resultantly, one annual increment was removed from the investigation officer and last warning was issued to the Moharrar.

After hearing this, the chief justice observed that it was departmental action against the police officials and now the court had issued contempt of court notice to them to appear and explain their position.