PHC issues notices to parties in militants’ resettlement case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday sought replies from the federal and provincial governments on a writ petition seeking a judiciary inquiry into the resettlement of the militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Ijaz Khan Sabi directed the petitioner to prepare their response with regard to the objection raised by the provincial government terming the petition non-maintainable.

Awami National Party provincial President Aimal Wali Khan filed the petition in the high court seeking a judicial inquiry into the resettlement of terrorists in KP. The petition was filed through lawyer Babar Khan Yousafzai.

President Arif Alvi, former prime minister Imran Khan, former director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Maj-Gen (Retired) Faiz Hameed, former chief minister Mahmood Khan, former adviser to chief minister Barrister Saif and others were named respondents in the petition.

During the hearing, Justice Sahibzada Asadullah remarked that some of the respondents accused of facilitating the resettlement process of the militants had retired from service.

Babar Khan Yousafzai requested the court to order the establishment of a high-power judicial commission to unmask the ones, who had facilitated the return of the militants to KP after the terrorists were defeated as a result of militancy operations. He requested the court to fix a timeframe for conducting the probe in order to establish the facts.

Additional Advocate General Danial Asad Chamkani told the court that the high court was not the relevant forum to order the establishment of the judicial commission. He pointed out the relevant forums were supposed to set up the proposed commission. Justice Ijaz Khan said that the provincial government was supposed to announce the commission. The court adjourned the hearing and issued notices to the respondents.