The Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, stated that legal judgments made by the court have faced criticism from political parties. As a result, he personally faced significant consequences due to these decisions.
During a touching full court reference event held in his honor, the chief justice shared his thoughts on his time in office. He discussed the difficulties and victories he experienced throughout his judicial career.
CJ Khan declared that if anyone doubted the legality of his decisions, they could hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.
He revealed that throughout his 31-year tenure, he made 15,000 judgments, with only 509 being contested in the Supreme Court and 279 ultimately being upheld by the higher court.
Chief Justice Khan commented, stating that they made decisions based on legal guidelines. However, they were associated with a political party, and their judgments adhering to the law faced criticism from political groups.
He confessed that his choices came at a significant cost. He further mentioned being the 10th highest-ranking judge at the High Court when he was assigned the responsibility of investigating the Army Public School incident.
Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim paid tribute to Chief Justice Khan, commending his esteemed colleague’s steadfast dedication to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution throughout his 31-year tenure.
Acknowledging the challenging nature of the chief justice’s role, Justice Ibrahim praised CJ Khan’s significant contributions in preserving judiciary independence and protecting its autonomy. He further emphasized, “The role of a chief justice is complex, and he executed it admirably. The CJ consistently supported the rule of law and the Constitution.”
He additionally stated that Chief Justice Khan consistently prevented any harm to the judiciary’s independence, an action that the Peshawar High Court will forever appreciate and remember as part of his valuable contributions.
In the comprehensive court hearing, present were judges from the high court, the advocate general, the Peshawar district and sessions judge, and other attendees. Notably, Chief Justice Ibrahim is set to retire on April 14th. He initially joined the Peshawar High Court as a permanent judge in June 2018, and later assumed the role of chief justice in August 2023.
