PESHAWAR: All judges of the Peshawar High Court will resume work on April 20 as Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth has issued several directions for the fixing of cases before them during the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

The routine roaster of 18 judges at the high court’s principal seat and benches for next week was issued on Friday.

Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the high court had ordered the closure of all courts in the province on March 24 and assigned duties to few judges and essential staff regarding the cases of urgent nature.

According to the fresh roster, 18 high court judges will resume duty on April 20. Among them, 11 will work at the principal seat, two each on Abbottabad, DI Khan and Mingora benches, and one on Bannu bench.

CJ issues directions for fixing of cases

Initially, the high court had declared that two single benches at the principal seat and one single-member bench at the circuit benches would deal with urgent civil and criminal matters.

Also, a court of sessions judge and that of a civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate in every district court were directed to function.

The number of judges posted to district courts was later increased, while from Apr 13, the number of judges at the high court’s principal seat went up from two to three.

An office order released on April 14 revealed that Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth had ordered the fixing of all freshly instituted cases for the next day or the day thereafter subject to the availability of respective benches and convenience of counsel and party.

It added that all cases already filed and awaiting preliminary hearing would be fixed gradually in accordance with the diary.

Similarly, all cases wherein notices were issued to other parties and the accused are in prison will be fixed in accordance with their turn.

All cases of illegal detention and those in which either interim relief is sought or has been granted will also be fixed for hearing.

According to the order, in case any party does not appear in a case fixed before the court, any possible proceedings may be conducted or orders passed otherwise may be adjourned and may not be dismissed for default of appearance of counsel or party.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the high court has been taking bail pleas of prisoners on priority basis to reduce prison population in the province.

The administrative judges for prisons, Justice Roohul Amin Khan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, had also visited jails in Mardan, Peshawar, Swabi and Nowshera districts and got a total of 33 prisoners released.

They also took a serious notice of the congestion in Nowshera and Swabi jails and issued orders for corrective steps.

The judges ordered cleanliness and segregation of new prisoners from the old ones as a Covid-19 precautionary measure.

The high court had issued directions on Feb 29 for precautionary steps against coronavirus, especially ban on handshakes, suspension of biometric attendance, and regular cleanliness of the premises.

It was ordered the immediate shifting of staff members with Covid-19 symptoms to the hospital.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2020