PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on a writ petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Meena Khan Afridi challenging the inclusion of his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Ijaz Khan Sabi heard the petition.Meena Khan Afridi appeared before the court along with his counsel, Bashir Khan Wazir.
The lawyer informed the bench that his client, a provincial minister, had been placed on the ECL and needed to appear in an examination today.The chief justice initially advised the minister to attend his examination and directed that the matter be taken up later, while also asking that Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam and other officials concerned be present before the court.
When the case resumed, the court expressed displeasure over the absence of the provincial law minister and senior officials from the Home Department.The bench directed the additional advocate general to ensure their presence, observing that the court would remain available even until late in the evening if necessary.
Later, Aftab Alam and the adviser to the Home Department appeared before the court.Addressing the government representatives, Chief Justice Attique Shah questioned the performance of the provincial administration, noting that the province had been governed by the same political party for over a decade.
“You have been in government for 13 years. What have you done? People in the southern districts are suffering. Even after six months, the criminal justice system reforms ordered by the larger bench have not been implemented,” the chief justice remarked.
He observed that the province’s conviction rate remained alarmingly low, attributing it to weak investigation and prosecution. He said that only six out of every hundred accused persons were being convicted.
Referring to political cases, the PHC chief justice stated that the high court had granted bail to 2,246 political figures, while around 90 related cases were still pending.He highlighted judicial accountability measures, saying that the judiciary had taken action against its own members, including terminating the services of 30 judges and punishing a lawyer for professional misconduct.
“If court orders are not implemented, we will proceed against those responsible,” the chief justice warned, adding that prosecutors had remained posted in the same districts for as long as 12 years without transfers.
The law minister assured the court that the government was implementing the larger bench’s directions and had recently held meetings to review progress.The chief justice emphasized the need for training and accountability within government departments, similar to the training programmes conducted for judicial officers.
During the hearing, Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Faisal Utmankhel appeared through video link from Islamabad and informed the court that he had attended proceedings before the Constitutional Bench. He assured the court that he would discuss the matter with the Chief Secretary and ensure compliance with judicial directions.
Turning to the petitioner’s case, the chief justice asked Meena Khan Afridi to explain his grievance.His counsel submitted that the minister intended to travel to Germany but was unable to do so because his name had been placed on the ECL.
The court questioned why the petition had been filed so close to the date of travel. Counsel informed the bench that the minister’s flight was scheduled for June 7.The deputy attorney general was directed to ascertain whether Meena Khan Afridi’s name was on the ECL or the Provisional National Identification List, and to determine the reasons for the restriction.
