PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the provincial authorities to take steps for the restoration of mobile phone signals within court premises, citing the difficulties faced by lawyers and litigants due to the prolonged suspension of service.
A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah and Justice Ijaz Sabi, issued the directive while hearing a petition filed against the blocking of mobile signals at the PHC and district courts. The bench instructed the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to prepare a joint strategy in consultation with stakeholders and submit a report to the court.
During the hearing, Peshawar High Court Bar Association President Ameenur Rehman Yousafzai, General Secretary Ashfaq Dawoodzai, and District Bar President Qaiser Zaman, along with other cabinet members, appeared before the bench. They argued that the suspension of mobile signals for several months had caused significant hardship for both lawyers and the general public, and repeated requests to authorities had gone unanswered.
The court summoned senior officials, including Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Abid Majeed, Inspector General of Prisons Usman Mehsud, and Superintendent of Peshawar Central Jail Najam Abbasi.
The Additional Chief Secretary informed the court that the jammers were installed near Peshawar Central Jail due to the presence of high-profile terrorists, some of whom had already exhausted appeals in the Supreme Court. He said terrorists had previously issued threats from inside the jail, and mobile phones recovered during raids had confirmed such activities. He explained that jail staff were often coerced into smuggling phones inside under death threats to themselves and their families.
“Our purpose is not to create problems for lawyers and litigants, but the rising wave of terrorism has compelled us to adopt such measures,” he stated, adding that disciplinary action had been taken against complicit staff members.
Chief Justice Atiq Shah, however, emphasized that the issue was not confined to lawyers alone. “Litigants travel from far-off areas, and without communication facilities they face immense difficulties. It is our duty to facilitate both lawyers and the public,” he remarked.
The bench directed the Bar leaders and government officials to work out a practical mechanism for restoring signals while addressing security concerns. The court further ordered the concerned departments to prepare and submit a comprehensive report on the matter.
