PESHAWAR: Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim of the Peshawar High Court has directed authorities to enhance security measures for all judges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing increasing threats to judicial officers and retaliatory actions by police in some cases.
During a special bench hearing alongside Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Ibrahim raised serious concerns about the safety of judges. He emphasized that security withdrawals by police following adverse rulings were unacceptable. “This will not work now. All judges should be given security,” he asserted.
The petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that three meetings had been conducted per the court’s earlier directives to address security concerns. However, Justice Ibrahim noted a glaring issue, stating, “There is security for deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners, but when a judge gives a decision against the police, the officers retaliate by withdrawing their security.”
The court also heard that while security protocols were in place for high-risk officials, judicial magistrates remained excluded. The Chief Justice demanded immediate rectification of this oversight.
Justice Ijaz Anwar further remarked on the strain on police resources during polio vaccination campaigns, suggesting the formation of a dedicated force for such operations. “Whenever there is a polio campaign, the entire police force is tied up. Form a separate force for polio and solve this problem,” he advised.
The security challenges in the province remain significant, with reports indicating the registration of 55,000 to 60,000 FIRs annually in Peshawar alone. Additional Advocate General Inam Yousafzai assured the court that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were being implemented for judges’ security in high-risk areas, though he admitted that judicial magistrates were not covered under these measures.
