Granting Judicial Powers to District Administration Is an Attack on Judiciary: Balochistan Bar Council Challenges Notification in High Court

Quetta: The Balochistan Bar Council (BBC) has challenged a notification issued by the provincial government granting Justice of Peace powers to the district administration, terming the move an attack on the independence of the judiciary.

The petition has been filed in the Balochistan High Court by Rahib Baloch, Chairman of the Bar Council’s Executive Committee. In the petition, the Bar Council argued that assigning powers under Articles 22-A and 22-B of the Criminal Procedure Code to the district administration is unconstitutional and undermines the judicial system.

Speaking on the matter, Rahib Baloch stated that the Balochistan High Court has already delivered judgments regarding the powers of the Justice of Peace, and the provincial government’s latest move contradicts those rulings. He further recalled that the government had previously attempted to delegate judicial magistrate powers to tehsildars, a step he said was also against judicial independence.

The Bar Council maintained that vesting judicial authority in administrative officers violates the principle of separation of powers and threatens the autonomy of the judiciary. The High Court is expected to take up the petition for hearing in the coming days.