PHC takes notice of army personnel’s ‘rude’ attitude

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday sought replies from Ministry of Defence through secretary Defence, Station Commander and Cantonment Executive Officer Bannu Cantonment within 14 days in a suo moto case about the ‘rude’ attitude of the army personnel towards a high court judge.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Irshad Qaisar also directed the Ministry of Defence to submit reply and explain how an official secret video about the ‘rude’ attitude of army personnel towards the PHC judge Justice Ikramullah Khan was leaked and shared on the social media and even the ministry’s official website. The bench fixed July 2 for the next hearing into the case.
The bench asked Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to submit reply and explain as to why the video was not removed from the websites and other objectionable material about the incident.
Separately, the bench also issued notice to secretary defence, secretary Home and Tribal Affairs, KP chief secretary, inspector general of police, district police officer, station commander of Bannu Cantonment in a writ petition of Bannu Bar Association, seeking removal of military checkposts in civilian areas of the Bannu Cantonment.
The bench issued show cause notice to an anchorperson of a private news channel, who discussed the incident in his programme. He was asked to explain as to why he commented on the issue which was pending in the court.
As per the case, the PHC judge Justice Ikramullah Khan’s official vehicle along with the police squad was stopped from entering the Bannu Cantonment at the Muslim Gate on the evening of May 27. The PHC Bannu Bench is located inside Bannu Cantonment.
According to the court notice, the army personnel posted at the gate stopped the vehicle of Justice Ikramullah Khan and put an “unjustified” demand for the judge’s official card.The guards resisted when the judge refused to show the card and the driver tried to enter the gate. This infuriated the judge who proceeded on foot, leaving the official vehicle at the gate.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council vice-chairman, Ahmad Farooq Khattak, Peshawar High Court Bar Association president Muhammad Fida Gul, former general secretary Muhammad Ayaz Khan, former PHCBA president Muhammad Esa Khan and several other lawyers appeared in the case for Bannu Bar Association.
On the other hand, Advocate General KP Abdul Latif Yousafzai, Additional Attorney General Behlol Khattak and a representative of Defence Ministry appeared in the case.Ahmad Farooq Khattak submitted that access to justice had become difficult due to military checkpost in civilian areas of the cantonment. He requested the court to direct the government to remove the military checkposts from the civilian areas and limit the military checkposts to the areas where military installations are started. He further requested the court to direct for police or FC check posts in the civilian areas of the cantonment as the litigants and lawyers were facing difficulties and being insulted while appearing in the PHC Bannu bench.
In previous hearings at PHC Bannu Bench, the additional registrar had issued notices to the federal defence secretary, secretary Home and Tribal Affairs, Bannu 325 Brigade Commandant Brigadier and Bannu deputy commissioner for personal appearance.