PHC calls consultation meeting with lawyers bodies

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has called a meeting for consultation with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and presidents and general secretaries of High Court Bar Associations after the High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad, questioned transparency in the screening test conducted for the appointment of nine additional district and sessions judges.

The PHC registrar on September 21 issued invitation letters to the executive committee and all members of the KP Bar Council and presidents and general secretaries of PHC Bar Associations, including Peshawar, Mingora, Abbottabad, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan for the consultative meeting to be held on September 26.

The PHC called the meeting after the High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad passed a joint resolution showing serious reservations over the screening test at the principal seat, Peshawar, and questioned the transparency of the test.

The high court in its invitation letter sought suggestions from the bar associations on abandoning the current process of recruitment of the additional district and sessions judges or surrendering all the nine positions of the judges to the Public Service Commission. 

Meanwhile, a meeting of all the presidents of district bars and tehsil bars of Hazara division was held on September 19 at the High Court Bar in Abbottabad.

“A number of candidates from Hazara division as well as other divisions have got 50 percent marks and qualified the exam. It is also worth mentioning that how come a number of candidates got 70 percent marks from Peshawar, which put question mark on transparency in screening test,” stated the joint resolution issued by Muhammad Arshad Awan, President of High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad.

Through the resolution, the meeting unanimously decided to submit before the PHC chief justice that the candidates who secured 50 percent marks in the screening test should be allowed to take the upcoming written examination for the posts of additional district and sessions judges (ADJs).

On its part, the PHC in its invitation letter stated that the process of recruitment of the ADJs was launched after thorough consultation with the high court judges, judges of district judiciary and members of the KP Bar Council.

“The intention was to take everyone on board and most importantly, generate good ideas regarding ensuring complete transparency and fairness so as to get the best candidates,” the letter pointed out. It added that advertisement was issued and different benchmarks were set to provide level playing field to all regions.

It said that the process was waived in case of certain candidates who could not submit applications in time, including allowing joint Wakalatnamas.

“Candidates were called for screening test and to ensure transparency senior most judges in the benches as well as all four senior judges in the principal seat were made to supervise the process,” the letter said.

To develop trust of the candidates, it said the packet of questions paper was de-sealed in the presence of representatives of the candidates.

“Recently, reservations were shown by the High Court Bar Association Abbottabad, questioning the transparency of the entire process. The PHC chief justice and judges of the high court are determined that “justice should prevail and it should be seen to have prevailed” and with this spirit the chief justice would like to undertake another round of consultation with you to discuss any good ideas to move forward,” the invitation letter issued by the registrar of the high court stated.