Wana - The tribal elders and political alliance of South Waziristan district have written to Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, urging him to take notice and revise the decision to relocate district courts from Tank and Dera Ismail Khan to Wana, the district headquarters of South Waziristan.
Ayaz Wazir, leader of the Wana Political Alliance (WPA), stated that shifting the courts to Dera Ismail Khan, approximately 220 km from Wana, would create significant difficulties for lawyers and citizens. Advocate Ajmal Wazir also highlighted that the relocation would exacerbate existing hardships in accessing justice, warning of severe backlash from locals.
Ajmal Wazir further noted that the remoteness of the courts and increased costs have complicated proceedings under sections 512 and 514 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). He added that nearly 700 accused individuals are now on the run due to their inability to attend court hearings on time.
It is worth mentioning that the decision to shift the courts was taken due to security concerns following an attack on two district judges in Tank on August 2, where two police personnel lost their lives.