PHC directs KP govt to reopen roads in Peshawar Cantt

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the provincial government to open roads leading to Governor's House, Chief Minister's House and Civil Secretariat that have remained closed for more than a decade and caused difficulties to the public.

The roads were blocked in 2007 when the law and order situation deteriorated in the provincial capital. A division bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Muhammad Ayub Khan issued the directions in a writ petition filed by senior lawyer Muhammad Khurshid Khan seeking removal of military checkposts and reopening of roads leading to public offices in the city.

The bench also told the chief executive officer of Cantonment Board, Peshawar, Rana Khawar Iftikhar, that the court would appreciate if Mall Road is opened for traffic during the ongoing construction work on the BRT project as the people in the provincial capital are facing great difficulties due to blockade of routes.

The Cantonment Board official informed the bench that he would convey the court's message to the officials concerned. However, the court expressed concern over no further progress in removal of military checkposts from the roads passing through the Cantonment area after removal of one checkpost on the order of the court.

Dozens of lawyers stood with the petitioner Muhammad Khurshid Khan in the court and supported his stance that only one checkpost was removed and the legal advisor for the station commander Peshawar is misguiding the court that several checkposts including the one established outside the Accountant General Office were removed. Justice Qaiser Rashid said the court had ordered for slow and gradual removal of checkposts on the roads.

The court asked the Cantonment Board's chief executive officer Rana Khawar Iftikhar and legal advisor Ihsanullah to personally visit the areas and give complete progress report about removal of checkposts on April 17 when the next hearing in the case would be held. The legal advisor said the military's 102 Brigade has stated that peace is being restored in Peshawar and the checkposts would be removed gradually from the city.

The Cantonment Board's chief executive officer on Tuesday informed the PHC that complying with the court order, several checkposts had been removed and the remaining would be dismantled after improvement in security situation.

The PHC had ordered the phase-wise removal of barricades, checkposts and walls that have blocked entry to roads in the Cantonment and other areas of the provincial capital. Petitioner Muhammad Khursheed Khan had sought an order for removal of barricades, checkposts and walls. He also said that the Frontier Corps despite having huge space in the Balahisar Fort occupied the Nazar Bagh Road by erecting barricades near the fort and creating traffic problems in the city.

He said that at a little distance from Balahisar Fort, a wall had been erected on a road leading to the Civil Secretariat and Police Lines from the Peshawar Central Prison. He pointed out that barricades had also been put up on the nearby road outside the MPAs Hostel and Governor's House and thus half of the road was closed.

The petitioner said another important road had been closed by erecting a wall close to the Governor's House, Public Service Commission and Chief Minister's House while there is strict checking on a link road near the Edwardes College.

The senior lawyer said that due to the barricades and walls on roads in the name of security, the people were facing hardships in reaching certain government departments, including the Public Service Commission. Besides, he said the city faced traffic jams.

He said citizens were being humiliated in the name of snap checking. The petitioner said that link roads leading to the Mall Road from Qayyum Stadium had also been closed by erecting walls. He noted that almost all link roads leading to Defence Colony have been closed.

Balahisar Fort case: Separately, the bench re-issued notice to the Ministry of Interior and Inspector General Frontier Corps to submit comments and explain their position in a writ petition that sought the historic Balahisar Fort to be vacated by the paramilitary force.

The petitioner Khurshid Khan argued that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Antiquities Act 2016, Balahisar Fort has been declared a national heritage and it should be opened to public. He submitted that all famous forts, including Shahi Qila in Lahore. Lal Qila in Delhi and Lal Qilla in Agra in India are open to the public.