Shaheed Waqar Ahmad Seth Memorial Hall inaugurated in Dir

TIMERGRA: Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) Qaiser Rasheed Khan visited the District Complex in Lower Dir here on Wednesday and inaugurated the Shaheed Waqar Ahmad Seth Memorial Hall recently constructed at a cost of Rs 10 million.

He was accompanied by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Waqar Ahmed, registrar of the Peshawar High Court and the commissioner of Malakand. The PHC chief justice planted a tree at the Bar Room of the District Judicial Complex.

After a welcome note by District and Sessions Judge, the president of the District Bar Association presented the address of welcome and demanded the construction of a new judicial complex, provision of funds for providing basic facilities for lawyers and litigants, furniture for the newly constructed Shaheed Waqar Ahmad Seth Memorial Hall, video link facilities and posting of an Additional District & Sessions Judge and a civil judge.

In his address, the chief justice assured provision of the missing facilities at district as well as tehsil judicial complexes. He said Director P&D of the PHC would visit Lower Dir to assess the missing facilities in due consultation with District & Sessions Judge and XEN C&W Department.

The chief justice assured that fund for furniture would be provided in addition to the computer, scanner, printer required for digital library. He directed deputy commissioners of Lower Dir and Upper Dir to to identify suitable state land for the construction of the judicial complex.

The chief justice directed that the land shall not be less than 100 kanals and the relevant district & sessions judge and president District Bar Association shall be taken on board. He stressed increased coordination and cooperation between the bench and bar for the supremacy of law.

The chief justice discussed other initiatives of public interest, such as anti-encroachment drive, a halt to mining activities and rehabilitation and restoration of the bed of Panjkora River. He said amounts of Rs. 2.5 billion and Rs. 500 million had been approved for rehabilitation and restoration of Swat River and Panjkora River respectively.

The people will see the result on the ground shortly, he added and directed the commissioner for taking stringent measures for handling the timber and drug mafia.