Daily Times

The current PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been embroiled in unprecedented corruption, surpassing even those established by previous administrations. There is significant dissent within the party and government against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his favored ministers.

Anyone who challenges Gandapur or exposes corruption among his associates is quickly removed from their positions. Notable individuals who have faced this treatment include Shakil Khan, Junaid Akbar, Atif Khan, and Sher Ali Arbab. Former Army Brigadier Mahmood Shah has accused Gandapur’s family of operating a terrorist group.

In an effort to divert attention from his corruption and incompetence, Gandapur has targeted dissenters within his party and issued legal notices to respected journalists, who simply interviewed the individual accusing him of terrorism. Additionally, to bolster his image and demonstrate loyalty to party founder Imran Khan, Gandapur has employed paid YouTubers to smear judges who have convicted Khan of corruption. One of the targets of this campaign is Judge Humayun Dilawar and his family.

Judge Humayun Dilawar and his family have been subjected to false allegations of corruption by a notorious YouTuber, acting on Gandapur’s instructions. Unfortunately, the Pakistani judiciary’s failure to effectively address such defamation leaves judges vulnerable to exploitation by criminal elements.

The Pakistani judiciary’s failure to effectively address such defamation leaves judges vulnerable to exploitation by criminal elements.

Mr Dilawar Khan, the father of Judge Humayun Dilawar, is a distinguished lawyer from District Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He obtained his practicing license at the age of 22 in 1956 and continued to practice until his retirement in 2017. He is currently the most senior lawyer on the roll of the KP Bar Council.

The Central Provincial Elite Community Residencia was inaugurated on July 20, 2022, during the tenure of Mr Mehmood Khan, the former PTI Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The event was also attended by PTI-led Tehsil Nazims Junaid Rasheed and Pir Kamal, who praised the initiative and spoke about its objectives. Mr Junaid Rasheed, PTI Tehsil Nazim of Kaki, led the process of obtaining the necessary NOCs and strongly endorsed the project.

In stark contrast to previous support, recent allegations by a YouTuber claimed that former Minister of C&W, Mr Shakil Khan, favoured Judge Humayun Dilawar by approving a bridge and road at public expense to boost the residential society’s market value. These claims are baseless as the road and bridge existed prior to partition, dating back to the British era, and are public property. Allegations against Mr Shakeel, who has since been removed as MO C&W, are merely an attempt to justify his wrongful removal and support Gandapur’s version. The project was actually approved by the previous PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through then-Transport Minister Shah Muhammad, an MPA from the same vicinity.

Following Judge Humayun Dilawar’s conviction of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, the Dilawar family has faced severe online and media harassment from PTI supporters. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has intensified this by spreading false claims that public land was illegally included in the society.

Mr Ahmad Dilawar, the grandson of Mr Dilawar Khan and CEO of the society, has initiated a defamation suit and separate legal actions with the FIA against the KP government, the Anti-Corruption Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and paid YouTuber. The federal government must intervene immediately to protect the integrity of Judge Humayun

Dilawar, his esteemed father, and their family from false propaganda and harassment by the Gandapur government. It is essential that the highest courts take notice of these actions to ensure that judges can work independently and deliver verdicts based solely on facts and law. The harassment and defamation campaign against Judge Humayun Dilawar and his family must be stopped to uphold the rule of law and justice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The writer is a freelance columnist.