PHC CJ says he paid a heavy price for verdicts

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan said on Monday he had paid a heavy price for verdicts delivered as per law and the Constitution.

“We have been delivering judgments in various cases as per law and the Constitution for the last several months but we were linked to a particular political party, which is against the facts,” he said while addressing a full court reference held in his honour.

The PHC judges, including incoming Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, senior judge-designate Justice Ijaz Anwar, Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah, office-bearers of bar councils and lawyers attended the full court reference.

The chief justice said he had delivered 15,000 judgments during the last 31 years, in which only 509 verdicts were challenged in the Supreme Court and of them, 279 were upheld by the apex court.

He said if anyone believed that the judgments were not in accordance with the law, then he (the CJ) would present himself for accountability on the Day of Judgment.

The outgoing PHC CJ said that his number was 10th on the seniority list of judges but he was given the responsibility of probing the Army Public School (APS) tragedy through an Inquiry Commission.

He said that the commission recorded statements of affected families and other witnesses and the report was submitted accordingly.

The PHC CJ talked about the challenges encountered during his judicial career.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah and others paid glowing tribute to Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim hailed the unwavering commitment of Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan to the rule of law and the constitution in his 31-year tenure.

He praised PHC CJ for his arduous nature and efforts to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and prevent any encroachment upon its autonomy.

“The job of a chief justice is a difficult one, which he performed well. The PHC CJ always supported the rule of law and the Constitution,” Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim added.

He said that the PHC would always remember the services rendered by Chief Justice Ibrahim Khan, who had never allowed any damage to the independence of the judiciary.

It may be mentioned here that Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan is going to retire on April 14 and the most senior judge Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has been nominated as the PHC CJ.

He was inducted as a permanent judge of the Peshawar High Court in June 2018, and appointed the chief justice of the PHC in August, last year.