PHC seeks report from KP govt over mobile signal disruption at courts

PESHAWAR, Aug 27 (APP): The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has sought a report from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on a petition challenging poor mobile phone and internet signals within the premises of the High Court and district courts.

A bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Babar Sattar heard the petition.

During the proceedings, High Court Bar Association President Amin-ur-Rehman Yousafzai, Advocate, informed the court that lawyers and litigants were facing persistent mobile connectivity problems at the High Court and district courts despite repeated meetings and contacts with the relevant authorities.

Peshawar Bar Association President Qaiser Zaman, Advocate, told the court that lawyers had not gone on strike over the issue.

Justice Ijaz Anwar observed that mobile and internet signals were also unavailable at Race Course Garden, questioning why mobile services were disrupted across the city whenever a procession or other event took place.

Deputy Secretary Home Department Fazal Qayyum told the court that a survey had been conducted after consultations with all stakeholders.

He said signals were disrupted during the survey, though there was no complete blackout. He added that mobile operators had stated that stronger signals required greater power consumption.

Counsel for the mobile companies, Farooq Afridi, however, clarified that power consumption was not the main issue adding that mobile signals were being affected by jammers installed at the nearby jail.

The petitioner’s counsel maintained that reducing the intensity of the jail jammers could improve mobile connectivity.

Justice Ijaz Anwar observed that if high-profile prisoners were being kept in the jail, separate arrangements should be made for them. The court also questioned who was providing mobile phones to prisoners and directed that the matter should also be examined.

The court observed that the unavailability of mobile signals was causing inconvenience to the general public, particularly those visiting courts who were unable to contact their lawyers.

Additional Advocate General Bilal Khan Khalil informed the court that a meeting on the issue had already been held on August 17 and a report would be submitted at the next hearing.

Justice Ijaz Anwar directed the authorities to resolve the issue, observing that the public was suffering because of it.

The court directed the provincial government to submit a report and said the case would be heard in detail at the next hearing before a decision was taken.