PHC moved against failure to set up law university

PESHAWAR: A contempt of court petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court against the failure of the authorities concerned to establish a law university in Peshawar despite clear directives issued by the Supreme Court and the PHC.

The petition was jointly filed by Peshawar High Court Bar Association President Ameenur Rehman Yousafzai and General Secretary Ashfaq Ahmad Daudzai.The petition requested the court to direct the relevant authorities to expedite the process of establishing the proposed law university and initiate contempt proceedings against them for defying court orders.

The petition named the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials from the Higher Education Department (HED), Peshawar, and the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as respondents.

According to the petitioners, a writ petition was earlier filed requesting that Khyber Law College, currently affiliated with the University of Peshawar, be granted university status through legislation. The aim was to promote legal education and strengthen the justice system.

The PHC had accepted the writ petition in 2012 and directed the provincial government and authorities concerned to draft a bill and present it before the provincial assembly for approval.During the past hearings, both federal and provincial representatives had acknowledged the necessity of a dedicated law university and supported the proposal, citing its potential benefits to the judiciary and the legal fraternity.

The court had also recommended the formation of a board comprising legal experts, judges, and lawyers to develop specialized curricula for the proposed law university. All private law colleges in the province were to be affiliated with the university, with provisions for qualified faculty, research, and other academic resources.

Further suggestions included nominating one or two district and sessions judges to the university’s syndicate and senate, along with two members of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association.