NWFP govt ‘less interested’ in implementing shariah
By Akhtar Amin .
PESHAWAR: After a successful military operation in Malakand Division, the NWFP government seems to be less interested in implementing Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 in its true spirit, the long-standing demand of the local population.
After the imposition of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, the NWFP government declared the already-serving civil judges, additional sessions’ judges and district and sessions’ judges as ilaaqa qazis, izafi zilla qazis and zilla qazis in Malakand Division and Kohistan (Hazara Division). It also promised to appoint another 100 qazis under the shariah law. However, the government has failed to appoint 94 ilaaqa qazis and six zilla qazis in Malakand Division, even after the lapse of one year.
Courts: Besides the appointment of qazis, the provincial government has also failed to establish Darul Qaza (a high-court-level court) and Darul Darul Qaza (a Supreme-Court-level court) in the region.
The working of qazi courts without the establishment of Darul Qaza and Darulo Darul Qaza is a futile exercise, as the people of Malakand Division have to challenge qazi courts’ decisions in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Due to the provincial government’s lack of interest in implementing the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, lawyers in Swat have given April 1 as the deadline for the government to mend its ways and fulfil people’s demands, and warned of a massive anti-government campaign if the shariah law was not implemented in full.
Swat District Bar Association (DBA) President Abdul Ghafoor said last week that when lawyers file appeals in higher courts against the verdicts of qazi courts, they (lawyers) were asked to move Darul Qaza and Darul Darul Qaza, which did not exist.
He said the shariah had been a longstanding demand of the people of Malakand Division, but the system had not yet been implemented in letter and spirit. Ghafoor said that none of the rulers had paid serious attention to end the unrest among the people.
On the other hand, PHC Chief Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan had reportedly said that judges for Darul Qaza would be appointed after filling of vacant posts in the PHC, as the high court was already short of judges.
Sources said the PHC chief justice had forwarded a summary for the appointment of six judges, which was pending with the federal government since the last two months.
Source: Daily Times
Date:3/8/2010
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