Lawyers’ concerns to be addressed: PHC CJ

PESHAWAR: The acting chief justice of the Peshawar High Court, SM Attique Shah, on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the concerns of lawyers on a priority basis.

He was speaking at a meeting with the newly elected office-bearers the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, led by its president Ameenur Rehman.The PHC Acting CJ assured the lawyers representatives that efforts were underway to further strengthen coordination between the bench and the bar.

The delegation presented various day-to-day challenges faced by lawyers and requested practical solutions.In response, chief justice issued several directives aimed at improving conditions for lawyers:

He instructed the Communication and Works (C&W) Department to expedite work on parking facilities and directed security agencies to deploy plain-clothed personnel along with additional traffic police for enhanced security. He ordered the extension of working hours and staffing in the institution branch to better accommodate case submissions.

The cases filed before 11:00am will now be scheduled for hearings on the same day. He issued instructions for the cleanliness and beautification of the road outside the High Court.Discussions also took place on revising court hours to conclude proceedings by 3:00 PM, allowing lawyers more time to prepare for upcoming cases and attend to clients.

To improve healthcare services, the chief justice ordered the provision of modern medical equipment, including dental X-ray machines and medicines, at the High Court’s Basic Health Unit (BHU), as well as the deployment of a Rescue 1122 ambulance. He also announced plans to establish BHUs at district and tehsil bar associations.

Furthermore, the acting chief justice directed the provision of digital libraries and research computers to district bars and the acceleration of construction work at the Kohat Judicial Complex. He assured full support for the structural plan of the High Court Bar Room and directed the Director of Planning and Development to prepare a PC-1 in line with the Bar’s requirements.