PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice SM Attique Shah on Friday expressed displeasure over the absence of a Grade-18 officer in a contempt of court petition concerning the regularization of project employees in the Tourism Department.
Addressing the advocate general’s office, the chief justice remarked that the department appeared to be ignoring court orders, stating, “The advocate general’s office is so weak that departmental officials are disregarding judicial directives. For 15 years, your government has been in power; if officers in the relevant departments do not cooperate with court rulings, how can the court be satisfied?” He added that it was the chief minister’s responsibility to appoint competent bureaucrats in every department.
The hearing began with the petitioner’s lawyer, Rahmanullah Shah, appearing alongside the additional advocate general and the superintendent of the Culture and Tourism Authority. The petitioner’s counsel told the court that officials had failed to implement previous court orders and that the secretary of the department had still not signed the minutes of a meeting held five months ago - an act the lawyer said amounted to contempt of court.
The chief justice reminded the additional advocate general that the court had directed no officer below Grade 18 to appear from the department.
When the additional advocate general stated that the advocate general’s office had circulated the court’s order to all departments and had fulfilled its responsibility, Chief Justice Attique Shah criticized the office, saying, “Judicial orders are being ignored by departments because your office is weak. The public voted for accountability, not for empowering bureaucrats over them. It is the chief minister’s job to appoint competent officers. If departments do not assist the court, how can the judiciary be satisfied?”
Notably, no secretary or officer of Grade 18 or above appeared in court. The high court issued notices to the relevant officials and adjourned the case for the next hearing.
