PHC asks CTD officials to stop harassing citizens

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim on Friday directed the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials to stop intimidating the people and said the court would consider contempt proceedings if harassment of citizens continued

He made these remarks during the hearing of petitions of 14 missing persons.

During the proceedings, the chief justice expressed concern about citizens being harassed in police stations and stressed that the government institutions should serve, not inconvenience, the people.

He said the police should adopt a citizen-friendly approach rather than intimidating the public.

“Public offices, including the police, are funded by taxpayer money. We are here to facilitate the public, not to make their lives harder,” the chief justice remarked.

He directed the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials to stop harassing the people or else the court would consider initiating contempt proceedings against them.

Deputy Attorney General Ubaidullah Anwar and Additional Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa represented the federal and provincial governments respectively.

A lawyer appearing for a missing person, Burhan, told the court that his client was taken away from outside his home by the police in 2023.

He said Burhan’s friend had recorded a video of the incident, though he now feared police reprisals.

In response, Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim directed the additional advocate general to look into the matter, questioning why harassment continued under the current administration. The judge advised the petitioner to submit contempt of court applications if CTD’s harassment persisted.

The chief justice ordered the petitioner to produce video evidence at the next hearing and issued notices to the federal and provincial governments.