Non-appearance before court in contempt case: PHC issues arrest warrants of Bacha Khan University VC, registrar

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for the vice-chancellor and registrar of the Bacha Khan University for not appearing before the court in a contempt case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth had summoned the officials in a contempt case filed by the employees of the institution.

Both the officials did not appear before the court. The bench expressed anger at the non-appearance of the two and issued the warrants for arrest. The case was adjourned till February 27.

Meanwhile, a lawyer moved the PHC against the amendments made by the provincial government to the Control of Narcotics Substances Act. Ali Gohar Durrani in the writ petition asked the PHC to declare the insertion of sub-section (4) after sub-section (3) in Section 22 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act vide Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotics Substances Amendment Ordinance, 2020 (KP Ordinance No. II of 2020), as ultra vires to the Constitution & the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 2019 (KP Act No. XXXI of 2019).

The petitioner appealed to the court to declare that the insertion of the sub-section (4) after sub-section (3) in Section 22 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act 2019 vide Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotics Substances Amendment Ordinance, 2020 (KP Ordinance No. II of 2020) is an act marred by malice and against the independence of the judiciary.

The petitioner appealed to the court to strike down the amendments made to the Section 22 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 2019 and suspend Sub-section (4) of section 22 the final disposal of this writ petition.