PHC suspends two district and sessions judges

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has suspended two district and sessions judges as one had lodged a complaint against the chief justice of Pakistan for transgressing the constitutional limits and the other filed a reference against many judges of the superior courts in the Supreme Judicial Council.

The orders about their posting and transfer as an officer on special duty (OSD) and then suspension were issued by the Peshawar High Court Registrar Muhammad Salim Khan.

“The honourable chief justice and judges of this court are pleased to order immediate transfer of Ahmad Sultan Tareen, the district and sessions judge, Kohat, and post him as OSD, Peshawar High Court in the public interest. He stands relieved and directed to report to this office immediately,” stated the first order of the PHC.

The subsequent second order stated: “In exercise of power conferred by Rule 6 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants (Efficiency and Disciplinary) Rules, 2011, the competent authority has been pleased to order immediate suspension of Ahmad Sultan Tareen, the district and sessions judge (BPS-21), currently OSD, Peshawar High Court, Peshawar.”

He was transferred and suspended a few days after he filed a complaint in the Supreme Judicial Council questioning the conduct of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Saqib Nisar for transgressing the constitutional limits.

In his complaint, he had questioned whether the Chief Justice has been guilty of misconduct within meaning of paragraph 3 (1) of the Supreme Judicial Council Procedure of Inquiry, 2005, necessitating action against him under clause 6 of Article 209 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

In the second case, the PHC issued an order against District and Sessions Judge, Azim Khan Afridi, who had sent a reference against several judges of the superior courts to the Supreme Judicial Council.

The order said: “In exercise of power conferred by Rule 6 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Servants (Efficiency and Disciplinary) Rules, 2011, the competent authority has been pleased to order immediate suspension of Azim Khan Afridi, the district and sessions judge (BPS-21), currently OSD and posted at the PHC.”

In another order, the district and sessions judge, Shoaib Khan, who was serving as a special judge at Peshawar’s Customs, Taxation and Anti-Smuggling court, was posted as the district and sessions judge for Kohat.