PESHAWAR: Declaring a writ petition filed in the public interest regarding healthcare facilities in the southern and northern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inadmissible, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday issued a stern warning to petitioner Muhammad Hamdan advocate against filing similar petitions in the future.
In a written judgment, Senior Puisne Judge Justice Ijaz Anwar observed that the petitioner should exercise greater caution and refrain from filing unnecessary writ petitions. The court warned that any future filing of a similar nature could result in the imposition of a heavy fine.
The judgment was issued while deciding a petition challenging objections raised by the Registrar’s Office regarding the maintainability of the writ.According to the petitioner, the case had been filed in the public interest to highlight the alleged lack of healthcare facilities in the province’s northern and southern districts.
However, the court noted that the petitioner failed to identify any specific location where health services were unavailable or inadequate.The judgment stated that instead of pinpointing particular deficiencies in healthcare infrastructure, the petitioner had filed a generalised petition. During the hearing, the court questioned counsel regarding the availability of Medical Teaching Institutions (MTIs) and major hospitals in districts such as Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat.
The court observed that counsel appeared unaware of the existing healthcare facilities in those areas.The court held that the objections raised by the Registrar’s Office were valid and that the petition did not merit placement before the bench for further proceedings.
Terming the case as an unnecessary petition filed under the guise of public interest litigation, the court dismissed the matter and strongly cautioned the petitioner to avoid filing similar petitions in the future.It further warned that if such petitions were filed again, the court may impose a substantial monetary penalty.
