PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday asked the defence secretary, Bannu cantonment station commander and other relevant officials to separately respond to a case of alleged misbehaviour of army personnel with one of its judges at a Bannu check post and release of the footage of the incident on social media.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Irshad Qaiser observed that all respondents in the case, including defence secretary, Bannu station commander, cantonment executive officer and division commissioner, and Pakistan Army’s Judge Advocate General branch, should file replies on the matter with it within 14 days.

The bench was hearing a contempt of court petition filed by the additional registrar of high court Circuit Bench in Bannu against the personnel deputed at Muslim Gate check post, where misbehaviour was reported.

Deputy attorney general Behlol Khattak, advocate general Lateef Yousafzai, vice chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council Ahmad Farooq Khattak, representative of defence ministry Colonel Falak Naz, representative of JAG branch Major Mohammad Ali, PHCBA president Fida Gul, former president Essa Khan and former secretary general Ayaz Khan, and other officials appeared before the court.

Army personnel allegedly misbehaved with a judge at a Bannu check post lately

The incident took place on May 27 when Peshawar High Court judge, Ikramullah Khan, was on the way to Bannu cantonment area in a car along with police escort vehicle.

Security personnel allegedly stopped the two vehicles and asked the judge to show his service card though a policeman riding in the escort vehicle told them about the judge.

During the hearing, the chief justice observed that first, security personnel adopted uncivilised attitude towards the judge and later, footage of the incident taken by a CCTV camera installed there was released on social media with inappropriate comments.

The chief justice asked as to who released the footage on social media observing CCTV cameras were under the control of security forces.

He said the matter had been taken up with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to know how the footage was uploaded on social media and why they had not removed it so far.

DAG Behlol Khattak said a comprehensive reply to the questions raised on the matter would be filed on the behalf of the defence ministry.

The bench expressed displeasure at the airing of a TV programme on the matter and directed the programme anchor, Ahmad Qureshi, to submit written reply within 14 days.

It observed that when the matter was sub judice, why a TV chancel aired the said programme.

Meanwhile, the bench also sought comments from the defence secretary, provincial chief secretary, Bannu commissioner, district police officer and other officials on a petition of the PHCBA Bannu seeking replacement of military check posts in civilian areas of the district with those of police.

Members of the association complained lawyers and litigants had to pass through different checkpoints to go to the high court’s Circuit Bench and that long queues of vehicles were seen.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2015

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