Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: Chief Justice Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has expressed his annoyance and disappointment over the non-compliance of police officers with court orders. He made it clear that the court will no longer tolerate any disregard of its orders by police officials. He remarked that if a Station House Officer (SHO) thinks they are above the law and do not appear in court, then they will be treated accordingly.
The Chief Justice made these remarks during the hearing of a case related to the disappearance of a citizen, Misbah ul Haq, from the Matni area of Peshawar in 2019. PHC had summoned the SHO Matni, but he didn’t appear before court, despite being served with a court summons. The Chief Justice expressed his displeasure and directed the Capital City Police Officer to appear before court for subordinate attitude towards judiciary.
CCPO Muhammad Qasim appeared before Chief Justice and informed that he had taken charge of his office two weeks ago and was unaware of the case details. He assured the court that he would personally look into the matter and ensured implementation of PHC’s orders.
The Chief Justice warned that if the police continue to disregard court orders, it will not be tolerated. He added that the court’s purpose is to provide justice to the people, and it will not be deterred by the police’s non-cooperation. He remarked that if the police can disregard the orders of the high court, then they will also disregard the orders of the district and session courts, which will lead to a breakdown in the rule of law.
PHC directed CCPO to submit a report on the matter before 22nd July. The petition was filed by the father of the missing person, Misbah ul Haq, who alleged that his son was abducted by two individuals from Matni, Hasan Khel and Habibullah, in 2019. The petitioner alleged that his son was taken away by the accused, who were known to the police, and that the police had failed to take any action to recover his son.
