CJ raises question about appeals if CPC amendments deferred.

PESHAWAR -- As the strike of lawyers continued for 13th consecutive day on Monday, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth raised question about the fate of scores of civil appeals pending with the high court in case the government defers the enforcement of the recent amendments to the Civil Procedure Code (CPC).

On the call of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council the legal fraternity has been observing strike since Jan 8 across the province against certain amendments made by KP Government in the CPC and introducing a new provincial anti-narcotics law.

Lawyers across the province stayed away from proceedings in different courts including Peshawar High Court.

On Monday, while hearing different cases, Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth asked additional advocate general Qaiser Ali Shah about the fate of scores of appeal transferred to the court following the CPC amendments.

Lawyers' strike enters 13th day

The AAG replied that the government had decided to defer the amendments for three months and had been drafting a bill in that respect.

He said the bill was likely to be tabled in the provincial assembly after it resumed session on Jan 27.

The chief justice observed that after the amendments were made to the CPC, one forum of appeal was abolished and appeal against decision of a civil judge had to be filed before the high court instead of the district judge.

The chief justice observed that following the said amendments scores of appeals pending before the district courts were shifted to the high court.

The court inquired once these amendments were deferred for three months what would be the legal status of these appeals before the high court then.

The bench directed the AAG to take up this issue with the government so that there should be clear position about the pending appeals.

The AAG contended that according to his understanding if these amendments were deferred...