PHC issues contempt notice to authorities

Construction on church premises

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued contempt of court notices to the district administration and a police officer of Dera Ismail Khan along with a contractor for failing to implement the court order to stop illegal construction on the compound of St John’s Church.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Ijaz Anwar issued the contempt of court notice to Dera Ismail Khan’s Commissioner Nazir Akhtar Waraich, Deputy Commissioner Mutasim Billah, District Police Officer Yasir Afridi and contractor Younas Masih and directed them to explain their position at the next hearing of the case.

The bench issued the notice in the contempt of court petition filed by Reverend Jimmy Mathew, who is the Bishop of the Northern Diocese Church of Pakistan and the provincial president of the Church Property Bachao Tehrik Pakistan, through his lawyer Khalid Anwar. The petitioner has also made chief secretary, secretary Auqaf, secretary law, senior member Board of Revenue Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and secretary home as contemnors in the contempt petition.

Presenting his arguments, the lawyer contended that earlier the petitioner had filed writ petition and requested the court to restrain the provincial government from issuing “No-Objection Certificate” (NOC) in respect of the properties of the minorities under the impugned legislation called “The Khyber Pakhtun-khwa Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities Act 2014” through an order dated December 1, 2015 that was extended on October 20, 2016.

The lawyer submitted that the court then restrained the provincial government and other authorities concerned from issuing NOC for construction of commercial buildings on the compounds and places of churches and other religious places of the minorities.