PESHAWAR: A full court reference was held at the Peshawar High Court to honour the services of Justice Shahid Khan on his retirement.
Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, senior puisne judge Justice Ijaz Anwar, all judges of the high court, Registrar Ikhtiyar Khan, Additional Registrar (Admin) Mumraiz Khan Khalil, Additional Registrar (Judicial) Hidayatullah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah, Peshawar High Court Bar President Fida Gul advocate and lawyers attended the event.
Justice Shahid Khan took pride in serving with honesty and responsibility throughout his career. He thanked his fellow judges for their cooperation during his tenure.Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim praised Justice Shahid Khan’ for his services and said that his decisions in various cases would remain memorable and his professional approach as a judge was commendable.
“Justice Shahid Khan served in the judiciary for 34 years, holding various positions throughout his career. He was recognized for his dedication and commitment to justice,” the PHC CJ added.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general commended Justice Shahid Khan’s contributions to the judiciary. Following his retirement, the number of judges at the PHC has decreased to 13, with 7 positions now vacant. Due to the shortage of judges, the number of pending cases at the PHC has increased, creating hardships for the litigants.
Last week, the federal government issued a notification to increase the number of judges at the high court to 30. The Peshawar High Court Bar Association has called for the immediate appointment of new judges to fill out the vacancies.
Fida Gul Advocate has urged the government to address the shortage of judges, saying that several judges including Justice Ibrahim Khan, Justice Lal Jan, Justice Rooh-ul-Amin, and the late Justice Qaiser Rashid, have retired recently, while Justice Musarrat Hilali has been appointed at the Supreme Court.
The association had earlier demanded an increase in the number of judges, particularly after the merger of the tribal districts into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the vacancies remain unfilled.He urged the government to expedite the appointment process to lessen the
growing backlog of cases and ensure timely justice for the public.