F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Honorable Chief Justice(CJ) Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth offered special “DUA” for the country and people of Pakistan via Video conference and in his to message to district judiciary honorable CJ directed to take precautionary measures on time to curtain pandemic Coronavirus, on Monday.
The honorable CJ thanked Allah as yet no case of COVID-19 has been reported from the district judiciary. He, however, pressed upon to observe the safety measures strictly and to fight this pandemic in a befitting manner especially after conclusion of public holidays.
The principal officers at Peshawar High Court and the judicial officers of district judiciary have donated five days salaries for aid of poor daily wager who are badly affected due to present lockdown situation. Similarly the ministerial staff of the Peshawar High Court as well as of district judiciary have donated one day salary for the same purpose.
The Peshawar high court is vigorously taking on the initiatives to cope with COVID-19 pandemic.
The bail petitions of the prisoners have been taken on the priority basis. In previous week duty single benches of honorable Peshawar High Court had disposed of one hundred and twenty six (126) cases.
At district level the duty judges have performed their duties and during special visits to jails have released two hundred and twenty two (222) prisoners involved in petty nature cases.
During the week, Honorable the administrative judges prisons have visited the Jails of Mardan, Peshawar, Swabi, and Nowshera and overall 33 prisoners were released on spot. The honorable judges took serious notice of the congestion of prisoners in District jail Nowshera & Swabi and issued the directions to authorities concerned to take all necessary steps for decongestion of prisoners.
They have also inspected the hygiene conditions of the Jails and the directions were issued for cleanliness, segregation of incoming prisoners, as per the protocol of COVID-19 precautions. The Peshawar High Court vide letter dated 29th February 2020 had issued directions with regard to precautions on coronavirus which included abstinence of hand shake, “GHARAS”.
The biometric attendance of the staff was immediately stopped. Besides they were directed to ensure strict and regular cleanliness of the Court premises. It was also advised that any official showing symptoms of the disease must be taken to the hospital immediately. In order to avoid attendance of under trial prisoners, the Peshawar High Court vide letter dated 17th of March 2020 issued directives to all the district and sessions judges that a magistrate may be deputed for daily jail visit in connection with the matters falling under section 344 Cr.P.C 1898.
On the administrative side, a cell headed by Registrar has been established in the Peshawar High Court to monitor the situation. The Cell convened the Zoom conference meeting with all the District & Sessions Judges on 20th March 2020 to sensitize the judges on the precautions of COVID-19 pandemic.
For expert opinion and guidance doctors of Basic Health Unit of Peshawar High Court also participated in the meeting and shared their views regarding necessary precautionary measures.
The district judges were directed to ensure screening visitors in the Court premises on regular basis by procuring thermal guns and to establish quarantine centers in collaboration with the district administration. Regarding the disposal of day to day judicial business of the Courts, the judges were directed to avoid dismissal of cases in default.
The district judges were also directed to provide sanitizers, masks, gloves to judicial officers as well as to ministerial staff of the Courts. For safety of the officers and staff working at the Peshawar Court, Peshawar and its benches sanitizers, masks, gloves are provided to all the principal officers and sanitizers were also placed at corridors for the use of ministerial staff.
A quarantine center is established in the BHU Peshawar High Court to coup with the emergency situations. The regular screening of visitors is carried out through thermal guns to gauge their temperatures.
All the employees of the PHC were directed to adopt safe work practices and for education of staff and litigants panaflexes bearing protective measures are displayed inside the Court at different points. Vide order dated 24th March 2020 the PHC had directed that staff aged 50 years and above, diabetic, cardiac patients and female shall avail vacations till further orders.
The principal officers and staff recited the Holy Quran for blessings of the Almighty Allah to shield against this pandemic. Video conference presided by honorable the Chief Justice offered special “DUA” for the country and people of Pakistan. In a message to district judiciary, Honorable the Chief Justice applauded the district judiciary for taking timely precautionary measures and thanked Allah as yet no case of COVID-19 has been reported from the district judiciary.
He, however, pressed upon to observe the safety measures strictly and to fight this pandemic in a befitting manner especially after conclusion of public holidays. The principal officers at Peshawar High Court and the judicial officers of district judiciary have donated five days salaries for aid of poor daily wager who are badly affected due to present lockdown situation.
Similarly the ministerial staff of the Peshawar High Court as well as of district judiciary have donated one day salary for the same purpose.
