| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Qazis start working in Malakand Division |
| 2009-08-01 |
| [The News (Pak)] Qazis, as envisaged in the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation (NAR) 2009, promulgated before the launch of the military operation in the Malakand Division, are now in place, performing their usual judicial duties, in six out of the seven districts of the region. "All tiers of Qazis have started working in the districts of Buner, Shangla, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Chitral and Malakand Agency," a senior official of the NWFP government told The News. However, he said the Qazis were yet to take up their assignments in the Swat district. The process of sending them there is in progress, he said, adding that there was no ambiguity anywhere that the NAR would remain in place and it was the law of the land in Malakand Division. Urgent matters like those relating to bails of the residents of the Swat district are being dealt with as a stopgap by the designated additional district and sessions judges, stationed in Peshawar. The official said that the district & sessions judges in the six districts have been designated as Zila Qazis as per the NAR. He said executive magisterial courts are yet to be put in place in the Malakand Division. Under the NAR, apart from the Qazis, executive magistrates, who would perform judicial duties, are to be appointed. They will try all offences under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) punishable with imprisonment up to three years with or without fine; all offences punishable under local and special laws punishable up to three years with or without fine; all cases for prevention of breach of peace and public nuisances under the PPC and the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the cases pertaining to deviations of licences and permits under relevant laws applicable to the Malakand Division. He said that there was no shortage of judicial officers for appointment as Qazis in the Malakand Division. According to the NAR, Qazis were required to be duly appointed judicial officers, possessing degrees from the International Islamic University Islamabad or any other institution imparting training in Uloom-e-Shariah and recognised as such by the government. The official said the fact that the judicial system as provided in the NAR had begun functioning in six out of seven districts of the troubled area shows the impact of the Army operation resulting in the elimination of miscreants. |
| Posted by:Fred |