PESHAWAR, March 9: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday suspended loan recovery notices issued to 39 inhabitants of Malakand area by the Zarai Taraqiyati Bank Limited, as the government had written off such loans in a relief package announced for the war-affected areas, including Malakand Agency. A two-member bench comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Yahya Afridi also put on notice the ZTBL zonal chief, asking him to clarify about the issuance of notices.

The bench was hearing a writ petition filed by Asmatullah Khan and 38 other residents of Malakand Agency challenging the ZTBL’s notices concerning the loans they had obtained prior to the announcement of the relief package.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Abdul Zakir Tareen contended that the prime minister had announced relief package in 2009 for the war-affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He stated that under the package all agricultural loans of small farmers having outstanding balance on June 30, 2009, of all districts of Malakand division should be written off and the cost thereof should be borne by the federal government.

The counsel stated that the State Bank of Pakistan had issued a circular to all the banks in February last wherein it was mentioned that in pursuance of the relief package and subsequent release of budgetary allocation by the Ministry of Finance on account of total written-off loans in Malakand, Swat, Buner and Chitral districts, the banks should write off the entire loans outstanding as of Dec 31, 2009 of the borrowers in these areas.

Mr Tareen requested the court to declare the recovery notices as illegal.

NOTICE ISSUED: The Peshawar High Court has issued notices to the additional chief secretary, provincial health secretary and other respondents in a contempt of court case filed for non-implementation of a court order concerning appointment of a doctor in the MNCH (maternal and neo-natal child health) Programme.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel ordered that the respondents should clarify their position concerning the claim of a petitioner, Dr Shehzad Ali Khan.

Advocate Ameenur Rehman stated that the petitioner was appointed as public health specialist in the MNCH Programme through a notification on February 22, 2010. After he assumed the charge in Mansehra, the health department on March 6, 2010, cancelled his appointment through another notification without any show cause notice.

Mr Ameen stated that the court allowed his writ petition on June 29, 2010, and the impugned order of the health department was set aside. He stated that the respondents had not been implementing the court order and the petitioner had so far not been posted. He added that the act of respondents amounted to contempt of court.