PESHAWAR, Aug 2: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday extended the ban imposed by it on export of cattle and chicken to Afghanistan until Aug 15.

It also directed the administrations of Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to check cattle and chicken smuggling by unfrequented routes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Roohul Amin rejected the requests of Poultry Association and export permit holders for permission to export cattle and chicken to Afghanistan to authorised persons.

It kept all permits for cattle and chicken transportation to Afghanistan suspended until the next hearing and said movement of cattle and chicken to Fata should be made by authorised routes only.

The bench directed the provincial home department to appoint more price magistrates in Peshawar, preferably six, to check profiteering.

The chief justice had taken a suo motu notice of the export and smuggling of cattle and chicken to Afghanistan over a report of the court’s human rights cell.

On July 23, the court suspended all export permits issued by the federal government and ordered confiscation of cattle being shifted to Afghanistan.

Abdul Lateef Afridi, Fida Gul and Ijaz Khan Sabi, counsel for cattle export permit holders and Poultry Association, said their clients had the government’s permission for cattle export and had never involved in smuggling.

They requested the court to modify its earlier order and allow permit holders to transport cattle and chicken to Afghanistan. Poultry Association general secretary Bashir Mahmood Bhatti told the court that the association exported ‘roaster chicken’, which had no consumption in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to Afghanistan.

He requested the bench to allow him to export roaster chicken.

The chief justice said the court would direct the Peshawar district coordination officer to purchase the entire stock from him provided that he was ready to sell it out at official price.

However, Mr Bhatti refused to accept the offer.

DCO Jawed Marwat said he had regularly been conducting raids in the city to check illegal transportation of meat to Fata. He said two days ago, he had recovered huge quantity of meat, which was later sold out at the official rate of Rs220 per kg in line with the court orders. Mr Marwat complained about shortage of price magistrates and said Peshawar was a big city and it was difficult for him to control prices of food items with six magistrates.

The bench issued directives to the home department to depute more magistrates in Peshawar and also in other districts where required.

Provincial livestock director general Dr Sher Mohammad said he had set up checkposts at all points of entry to Fata on the court orders.

The bench directed the officials of the relevant tribal agencies and civil administration to depute their officials at said checkposts.

The chief justice told additional secretary of home department Shafirullah Khan that the court had received reports about police escorting illegally transported meat and poultry products to Afghanistan in certain areas of the province.

He asked the official to take corrective measures without delay.

Meanwhile, provincial home secretary Mohammad Azam Khan on Thursday asked the provincial police officer to personally monitor the matter to punish the culpable policemen.